In the Thai capital of Bangkok, a 30-storey building under construction collapsed, trapping 43 workers, police and medics said.
The massive building intended for government offices was reduced to a tangle of rubble and twisted metal in seconds, footage shared on social media showed.
Across the border in Myanmar, a team of AFP journalists were at the National Museum in Naypyidaw when the earthquake struck.
Pieces fell from the ceiling as the building began shaking. Uniformed staff ran outside, some trembling and tearful, others grabbing cellphones to try to contact loved ones.
Roads nearby were buckled and broken by the tremors and the route to one of the city’s biggest hospitals was jammed with traffic.