BANGKOK Governor Chadchart Sittipunt this afternoon (March 28) declared Bangkok a disaster zone after a powerful earthquake measuring 7.4 on the Richter scale centred at Myanmar’s Mandalay city rattled the metropolis with tremors also felt across the country, Naewna newspaper said
He said the earthquake at 1.20 p.m. had damaged many buildings in the city and ordered all Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) units, including medical and civil engineering, to monitor the situation and follow on damage to tall and abandoned buildings plus hospitals.
If cracks are found in any building those in charge were told to report them to the command centre.
Regarding hospitals, the maintenance department were told to inspect and assess the structure and if they are safe to return then critically-ill patients should be the first to be moved back in. Those who do not require urgent medical care should return home and make a new appointment.
BMA’s webpage warned the public to avoid Rama III and Bhumibol bridges with roads leading to them now closed.
Those who find people trapped and injured in buildings should call 1555 for emergency assistance. If they find damaged buildings with cracks in columns and beams, they should take photos of them and send a message to Traffy Fondu (https://fondue.traffy.in.th/bangkok) for volunteer engineers to inspect.
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