Asia is facing a severe crisis after a powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck early Monday morning, devastating large parts of southern China, northern Thailand, and Myanmar. The quake, which hit at 3:42 a.m. local time, had its epicenter in a mountainous region along the border between China’s Yunnan Province and Myanmar, at a shallow depth of around 10 kilometers, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Preliminary reports indicate that hundreds have been injured, dozens have lost their lives, and many remain trapped under rubble and collapsed structures. Rescue teams are working urgently to reach survivors, battling difficult terrain and aftershocks that continue to shake the region.

Northern Thai cities such as Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai experienced strong tremors, prompting mass evacuations and safety inspections. Authorities have urged residents to stay alert for further seismic activity as engineers assess the structural integrity of affected buildings.

Emergency response teams have been deployed across the impacted zones to provide shelter, food, and medical care to those displaced. However, damaged infrastructure, widespread power outages, and disrupted communication lines are severely hindering rescue efforts, making it a race against time to save those still missing.