Powerful earthquake rocks Myanmar, Thailand

A 30-storey building in Bangkok is reduced to a tangle of rubble and twisted metal in seconds after the 7.7-magnitude quake, which had its epicentre in Myanmar. (Photo: Pattarapong Chatpattarasill)

A powerful earthquake rocked central Myanmar on Friday, damaging buildings and forcing people to run into the streets in neighbouring Thailand.

The 7.7-magnitude tremor hit northwest of the city of Sagaing on Friday afternoon. A 6.4-magnitude aftershock hit the same area minutes later.