Asia is currently experiencing a severe emergency following a strong 7.7-mag earthquake that occurred early on Monday morning. Large areas of southern China, northern Thailand, and Myanmar were all impacted by the earthquake.
With its epicenter in a mountainous region along the border between Yunnan Province, China, and Myanmar, the earthquake struck at 3:42 a.m. local time. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) estimates that it struck at a shallow depth of roughly 10 kilometers.
According to preliminary reports, hundreds have been hurt, dozens have died, and many more are still trapped beneath debris and collapsed buildings. Rescue crews are in a race against time to get to the survivors.
Major northern Thai cities like Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai felt the full force of the earthquake. Mass evacuations were mandated by the local authorities as a precaution against aftershocks and possible structural damage.
Emergency services in the impacted areas have quickly mobilized to offer displaced people shelter and medical assistance. Despite being overburdened, hospitals are making every effort to treat the wounded.
In certain places, communication lines have been cut off, making rescue operations more difficult. Also impeding response teams are infrastructure damage and power outages.