A powerful 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar on Friday, with tremors also shaking parts of Thailand, causing widespread panic and structural damage. As the impact was felt in Bangkok, Indian tourists in the country began returning home, with several arriving at Kolkata airport on Friday night.
Passengers who experienced the tremors firsthand described scenes of fear and emergency evacuations. Ranjan Banerjee, one of the returning passengers, recounted the immediate chaos. “The situation is normal now, but at the time, it was an emergency. Malls and offices were evacuated, and the metro rail system was shut down,” he told ANI.
Another passenger, Safdar, described witnessing skyscrapers swaying and water spilling out of an infinity pool. “I was on the road when I saw tall buildings shaking. People were scared that they might collapse, but fortunately, nothing like that happened. Public transport was shut down for a few hours,” he said.
Sanjiv Dutta, who was staying in a high-rise, recalled waking up to his bed shaking. “When I opened my eyes, I saw the entire building moving. People were running in panic. I rushed down from the seventh floor to the ground level and waited there for some time. Traffic was chaotic, and it took me nearly 5-6 hours to travel just 30 kilometers,” he shared.
The earthquake led to mass evacuations across affected regions, with authorities in Thailand responding to the tremors by shutting down metro services and closely monitoring the situation. Despite the initial panic, no major casualties were reported in Bangkok.
