The military junta that has ruled Myanmar since its 2021 coup made a rare appeal for international assistance, declaring a state of emergency across six regions. Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing was seen visiting Naypyidaw hospital. He pleaded for foreign assistance: "We want the international community to send humanitarian aid as soon as possible." Access to information in the military-ruled country is difficult. Internet use is also restricted. Communication lines also appear to be down as the BBC has been unable to get through to aid agencies on the ground. In Bangkok, where metro and rail services were suspended, Zsuzsanna Vari-Kovacs described evacuating a restaurant. She said: "I was waiting for the bill and suddenly I started feeling the earth shake. At first, I thought it was just me, but then I saw everyone looking around. We ran outside immediately." Deborah Punmachet was checking her phone when her chair suddenly toppled over. She said: "I was in my La-Z-Boy [a recliner] and all of a sudden it moved back and forth. Then it flipped over and I hit my head on a table." Bui Thu, a BBC journalist who lives in Bangkok, said it had been at least a decade since the country experienced a powerful earthquake like it. In Mandalay, Myanmar's second-largest city, social media images showed collapsed buildings, including parts of the historic royal palace. A 90-year-old bridge crumbled, while sections of the main highway linking Yangon to the city were torn apart. The United States Geological Survey has issued a "red alert", warning that "high casualties and extensive damage are probable". The death toll remains unknown, but the USGS estimates it could be in the thousands.