By Chris Summers Contributing Writer  An earthquake measuring 7.7 magnitude hit Myanmar and neighboring Thailand on Friday, causing a high-rise building under construction in Bangkok to collapse, killing three people.  The U.S. Geological Survey said the epicenter of the earthquake — whi ch was 6.2 miles deep — was close to the city of Mandalay in Myanmar, formerly known as Burma.  A dramatic video circulated on social media shows the building in Bangkok collapsing in a cloud of dust as construction workers ran for their lives. Thailand’s defense minister says 90 people are missing and three are confirmed dead at the site.  In Burma, the military government has declared a state of emergency in six regions and states, including Mandalay and the capital Naypyitaw.  It said on the Telegram messaging app, “The state will make inquiries on the situation quickly and conduct rescue operations along with providing humanitarian aid.”  The Red Cross said: “Initial reports from the ground suggest the earthquake has caused significant damage. Information on humanitarian needs is still being gathered.”  The Burmese government’s spokesman, Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun, told state-run MRTV television channel that blood was in high demand in hospitals in Mandalay, Sagaing, and Naypyitaw.  The president of the European Commission wrote on X: “Heartbreaking scenes from Myanmar and Thailand after the devastating earthquake. My thoughts are with the victims and their families. Europe’s Copernicus satellites are already helping first responders. We are ready to provide more support. We stand with you in full solidarity.”  Chinese media reported that the earthquake was felt in Yunnan and Sichuan provinces.  Myanmar’s second biggest city, Mandalay, was close to the epicenter and a local resident, Htet Naing Oo, said several people had been trapped inside a tea shop that had collapsed.  She said, “We couldn’t go in. The situation is very bad.”  Photographs and videos posted on Facebook showed widespread damage in Mandalay.  Most houses in Mandalay are low-rise structures.  A 90-year-old bridge in the Sagaing region, southwest of Mandalay, collapsed, and the highway connecting Mandalay with Myanmar’s largest city, Yangon, was also damaged.  In the capital, Naypyitaw, Buddhist shrines were toppled and some homes damaged, but there was no immediate report of fatalities.  The tremor, which took place around midday on Friday, was followed by an aftershock with a magnitude of 6.4, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.  The greater Bangkok area is home to around 17 million people, many living in high-rise apartments.  Many people were evacuated from office and residential buildings, pending the all-clear.  ‘A Lot of Panic’  Fraser Morton, a British tourist who was in downtown Bangkok shopping for camera equipment, said, “All of a sudden the whole building began to move, immediately there was screaming and a lot of panic.”  “I just started walking calmly at first but then the building started really moving, yeah, a lot of screaming, a lot of panic, people running the wrong way down the escalators, lots of banging and crashing inside the mall,” he added.  Morton said, “I got outside and then looked up at the building and the whole building was moving, dust and debris, it was pretty intense. Lots of chaos.”  Water from infinity pools in several high-rise hotels can be seen in videos pouring down the sides of the buildings as they shook.  Thousands of residents, workers and tourists took shelter in the city’s Benjasiri Park, which is away from high buildings.  Thailand’s prime minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, called an emergency meeting on Friday to assess the impact.  Thailand’s Department of Disaster Prevention said the tremor was felt in almost every region of the country.  The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.  The post 7.7 quake hits Myanmar, shakes buildings in Bangkok   appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal. ...read more read less