The death toll from Friday’s massive earthquake that jolted the Thai capital Bangkok has climbed to 17, with 32 people injured and 83 others remaining missing, the local disaster management authority said on Sunday.
Damage to infrastructure has been reported in 18 of the country’s 76 provinces, impacting 420 homes, 48 temples, 76 hospitals, and dozens of schools and government offices, according to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation.
The situation is under control, and assessments in affected areas are underway, with the probability of aftershocks steadily falling, said department head Phasakorn Boonyalak in a statement.
The department has also dispatched an urban search and rescue team with specialized equipment from various disaster prevention and mitigation centers to Bangkok, the hardest-hit area, to aid in rescue efforts, Boonyalak said.
The strong 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Friday with its epicenter in Myanmar’s Sagaing region, killing 1,644 people and injuring 3,408 in the impoverished Southeast Asian country.