A powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake in central Myanmar triggered precautionary evacuations in Phnom Penh on Friday, though no damage or tremors were reported in the capital.
In Bangkok, a building collapse caused by the earthquake reportedly trapped at least 81 workers and killed three as the city entered a state of emergency, according to Thai media. Other parts of the region also experienced tremors.
A coordinating officer for Cambodian labor rights group CENTRAL told CamboJA News that Cambodian workers had been hired at the site, but it was unclear if any were among those trapped.
“There are Cambodian migrant workers who work in that building, but we don’t know how many yet,” said coordinating officer Loeng Sophon, adding that more than 300 construction workers were involved in building the 30-storey structure near Bangkok’s Chatuchak market.
Limited information has emerged on the extent of the damage in Myanmar, but the country’s ruling junta issued a rare request for international humanitarian aid and declared a state of emergency across six regions, according to wire reports.
Several high-rise buildings in Phnom Penh, including ABA Bank, Canadia Tower and GIA Tower, were evacuated, with employees confirming the evacuations via social media posts.
Worried workers gathered in the streets, though none who spoke to CamboJA News reported feeling tremors.
Soth Kimkolmony, spokesperson for Cambodia’s National Committee for Disaster Management, said there were no official reports of tremors in the country but authorities were monitoring the situation.