The European Union (EU) has mobilised its satellite observation programme to help rescue victims of the 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck Myanmar and Southeast Asia, the EU’s chief executive announced today.
Europe’s Copernicus satellites are already helping first responders. “We are ready to provide further support,” announced the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, on the social network X. Assuring “full solidarity” with the community, the official lamented the “devastating scenes in Myanmar and Thailand after the devastating earthquake”.
“My thoughts are with the victims and their families”, she added. Also via X, the European Commissioner for Crisis Preparedness and Management, Hadja Lahbib, indicated that the EU is “monitoring the situation and has activated the Earth observation tool Copernicus to facilitate the impact assessment”, and is also “available to provide emergency support”. “We are deeply concerned about the destruction caused by the 7.7 magnitude earthquake that hit Myanmar and the entire region”, said the European Commissioner.
At least three people died when a thirty-story building under construction in Bangkok collapsed following a 7.7 magnitude earthquake that occurred after an earthquake in Myanmar.
The Thai government has declared a state of emergency in the country’s capital.
The strong earthquake in Myanmar was recorded at 1:30 pm (6:30 am in Lisbon).
A second earthquake was recorded in Thailand – 12 minutes later – according to information recorded by the United States Geological Survey and Germany’s GFZ Center for Geosciences.
The earthquake was recorded at a depth of 10 kilometers and the epicenter was located 17 kilometers from the city of Mandalay, Myanmar, with 1.2 million inhabitants.
In Myanmar (formerly Burma), the ruling military junta has declared a state of emergency in six areas of the country due to damage caused by the earthquake.
Myanmar’s Disaster Management Committee said in a statement that the strong earthquake, felt strongly in neighboring Thailand, was followed by three aftershocks that caused damage.
Myanmar’s military, which is in power after a 2021 coup, has declared a state of emergency in Sagaing, Mandalay, Magway in northeastern Shan State, Naipyido and Bago.
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