In Thailand, the tremors triggered deadly incidents, including the collapse of an under-construction skyscraper in Bangkok, which left at least three dead and dozens trapped under debris, according to the Bangkok Post
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ALSO READ: 144 dead, hundreds injured: Myanmar’s rare earthquake appeal triggers worldwide humanitarian pushA bridge swaying, cars rocking
Mahajan, who had just finished a lunch meeting in the Thai capital, was on his way back when the quake hit. In an interview with PTI Videos, he described the moment his surroundings shifted in an unsettling way.
“Our car was swaying… I said what is happening? Is there enough air pressure in the car tyres, or not? And then I saw other cars in front of me swaying,” he recounted.
It was only when he saw the entire bridge swinging that the full impact of the event dawned on him.
As he drove down from the bridge, panic was evident. “I saw a lot of people rushing out from their offices… That is when we realised that there was an earthquake.”
Though Bangkok avoided catastrophic damage, Mahajan recognised the scale of the disaster. “In hindsight, Bangkok was just lucky—this was a massive earthquake,” he said. His immediate concern turned to his factory, his family, and the safety of those around him.
“We run a chemical factory and we have to be very careful that everything was okay and there was no structural damage,” he added.
Thai authorities quickly issued advisories, urging residents—especially those in high-rise buildings—to be prepared for potential aftershocks.
‘Everything is swaying’: A journalist’s perspective
Journalist Patralekha Chatterjee, currently based in Thailand, also felt the tremors. At first, she thought she was experiencing vertigo.
“Everything is swaying,” she recalled in an interview with PTI Videos. But as she stepped onto her balcony, she noticed people rushing downstairs. That’s when reality set in—an earthquake had hit.
Grabbing her phone, she hurried down the stairs. Despite the panic, she noted that there were no visible damages or injuries in her immediate vicinity.
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What stood out to her was the orderliness of the evacuation. “There was all this crowd, but nobody pushed. Nobody shouts,” she observed.
Comparing it to experiences in her home country, she remarked, “Coming from India, I think that they are very considerate people… How a society is during non-disaster times will show also during an extreme (event), something like this.”
Authorities on high alert
As Thailand processed the shockwaves, its leadership moved quickly to reassure the public. Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, speaking from an emergency meeting in Phuket, urged people to remain calm, as reported by the Bangkok Post.
Meanwhile, Myanmar braced for worse news. Senior Gen Min Aung Hlaing, head of the country’s military government, warned that the death toll and injuries were expected to rise further.
With aftershocks expected, Thailand and Myanmar remain on high alert. For survivors like Mahajan and Chatterjee, the day served as a chilling reminder of nature’s unpredictability—and how quickly ordinary moments can turn into scenes of chaos.
With inputs from PTI
