Hundreds feared dead after powerful earthquake hits Myanmar

Hundreds of people are feared dead and injured after a powerful earthquake hit  Myanmar sending tremors across neighbouring Thailand and China.

The 7.7-magnitude quake struck in the early afternoon on Friday with the epicentre about 18 kilometres from Myanmar’s second largest city, Mandalay.

A 6.4 magnitude aftershock was felt around 12 minutes later, according to the United States Geological Survey.

Many historic buildings were damaged in the city which is the country’s ancient royal capital and the centre of its Buddhist heartland.

Witnesses report seeing everything started to shake and buildings bend and break and there has been widespread damage to infrastructure.

In Thailand, it brought down a high-rise building under construction in the capital, Bangkok,  some 900 kilometres away.

On Friday afternoon, rescuers were still searching for survivors.

The greater Bangkok area is home to more than 17 million people, many of whom live in high-rise apartments.

While the epicentre was in Myanmar, the area is generally sparsely populated, and most houses are low-rise structures.

Damage was also reported in China.

Myanmar's military-run government has declared a state of emergency in six regions and has made a rare appeal for international assistance.

Experts say it could take weeks before the full extent of the damage is known and that the quake could result in thousands of deaths and significant economic losses.