Thousands feared dead after powerful earthquake hits Myanmar, Thailand

Thousands are feared dead after a huge earthquake hit Thailand and Myanmar this morning, destroying buildings and sparking fears that dams could still collapse, leading to catastrophic flooding, reports Telegraph.

The US Geological Survey forecast thousands of losses after the 7.7 magnitude quake struck near Mandalay, Myanmar's second largest city.

As millions reeled from the shock, a second earthquake with a magnitude of 6.4 shook the area 12 minutes later, the USGS and Germany's GFZ said.

Officials at a major hospital in Naypyidaw, the capital, declared it a 'mass casualty area', with the death toll expected to rise after buildings fell and debris scattered.

'I haven't seen (something) like this before. We are trying to handle the situation. I'm so exhausted now,' a doctor told the AFP news agency.

Professor Ian Main, Personal Chair in Seismology and Rock Physics, School of GeoSciences, at the University of Edinburgh said in the immediate aftermath that the damage is likely to be 'very severe' near the epicentre.

'The USGS 'PAGER' forecast loss is, sadly, most likely to be in the range 10,000-100,000 fatalities.'

The force caused a mosque in Mandalay to collapse, with at least ten worshippers reported to have been killed.

Shocking footage showed workers fleeing in neighbouring Thailand as a high-rise building under construction collapsed around them.

At least three people were killed as the skyscraper toppled. Local authorities said that dozens of workers have been rescued from the site, though 90 are still missing.