Myanmar Earthwquake: Colonial-era Ava Bridge over Irrawaddy River collapses

An iconic bridge collapased as a 7.7-magnitude earthquake hit Myanmar earlier today. Multiple social media posts carried videos, which showed the bridge collapsing.

The 91-year-old Ava Bridge, also known as the Old Sagaing Bridge, spanned the Irrawaddy River between Mandalay and Sagaing regions, and was built by the British during the colonial period.

The 7.7-magnitude tremor hit northwest of the city of Sagaing on Friday afternoon at a shallow depth, the United States Geological Survey said. A 6.4-magnitude aftershock hit the same area minutes later.

In Thailand, where strong quakes are rare, the powerful tremors sent residents across many cities flooding out into the streets in panic.

In Bangkok, a 30-storey building under construction collapsed, trapping 43 workers, police and medics said.