AT LEAST THREE people have died and dozens more remain trapped after a skyscraper collapsed in Bangkok this morning following a major earthquake in neighbouring Myanmar.

The construction site of a new 30-storey government building quickly turned into a disaster scene, with people jumping into cars to escape or shrieking as they fled on foot as a mushroom cloud of dust and debris swept through the streets.

Workers in hard hats and orange hi-vis jackets were engulfed by dust as the concrete stack fell, with dozens who couldn’t get away trapped under the rubble.

Rescuers at the collapse site were dwarfed by a mound of rubble and tangled metal struts, just metres from the Chatuchak Market – a site that is hugely popular with tourists.

Some of the concrete facade and metal bars at the bottom of the tower survived the collapse.

Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai confirmed that at least three workers had been killed, with 81 more trapped inside when the building came down.

Thailand’s National Institute of Emergency Medicine said that dozens of workers have been rescued from under the rubble, but were unsure how many remain trapped.

‘A devastating impact’

The 7.7-magnitude quake violently shook a number of buildings across the Thai capital city – where strong tremors are almost unheard of.

“At first, I thought I was sick, like I was getting dizzy or about to faint. Then I noticed the lanterns were moving,” said one office worker who had fled from her building.

Dramatic video footage showed the tremor rocking a high-rise hotel, with water from its rooftop pool whipping over the building’s edge.

My condo’s rooftop infinity pool turned into a waterfall during the powerful earthquake earlier! 😱 #Bangkok #bangkokearthquake
#แผ่นดินไหว pic.twitter.com/ocKbEFf4jW

— JHV (@iMn0tFamoUs) March 28, 2025

Strong tremors were also felt in neighbouring China and Myanmar, where roads were pulled up, and a major hospital was declared a “mass casualty area”.

Bangkok rescuers were focused on the skyscraper collapse site, racing there to find survivors.

“I heard people calling for help, saying ‘help me’,” Worapat Sukthai, deputy police chief of Bang Sue district, told reporters.

“We estimate that hundreds of people are injured but we are still determining the number of casualties.”

“I fear many lives have been lost. We have never experienced an earthquake with such a devastating impact before.”

Additional reporting from Andrew Walsh.