Strong earthquake in Myanmar rocks Thai capital of Bangkok

Bangkok — A strong 7.7 magnitude earthquake rocked the Thai capital Friday, causing buildings to sway.

Germany’s GFZ center for geosciences said the midday temblor was at a shallow depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles), with an epicenter in neighboring Myanmar, according to initial reports.

There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.

The greater Bangkok area is home to more than 17 million people, many of whom live in high-rise apartments.

Many buildings were evacuated as they swayed in the rare quake. 

Startled residents poured out of high-rise condominiums and hotels in densely populated central Bangkok. They remained in the streets, seeking shade from the midday sun in the minutes after the quake.

The quake was forceful enough to send water sloshing out of pools, some high up in high-rises, as the tremor shook.

The shaker’s epicenter was in central Myanmar, about 50 kilometers (30 miles) east of the city of Monywa. There were no immediate reports of the quake’s impact in Myanmar, which is in the middle of a civil war.