The powerful earthquake, which had its epicenter in central Myanmar about 13 miles from Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city, struck around 12:50 p.m. local time, the New York Times reported. It was followed by several tremors, including a 6.4 magnitude aftershock which occurred just 11 minutes later.

A magnitude 7.7 earthquake in Myanmar caused widespread shaking and likely considerable damage because of a lack of buildings built to withstand temblors

A powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake impacted much of Southeast Asia on Friday, with mounting casualties and leveled buildings from Myanmar to Thailand. The epicenter was in Mandalay, Myanmar, the country's second-largest city. Even Bangkok, some 600 miles away, saw damage from the quake, including the collapse of a skyscraper under construction.