Earthquake drama in Bangkok: Birth amidst chaos and destruction
The tremors that hit Thailand also affected other countries, including Myanmar, where at least 1,700 people were killed. During the earthquake, at one of Bangkok's hospitals, 36-year-old Kanthong Saenmuangshin went into labour. The medical staff had to evacuate her from the fifth floor.
On Friday, March 28, Thailand experienced a powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.7, which caused extensive destruction in many areas of the country. The tremors were so intense that they were felt not only in Thailand but also in neighbouring countries such as Myanmar, China, India, Cambodia, and Bangladesh.
In one of Bangkok's hospitals, a dramatic situation unfolded that will remain in the memory of both medical staff and patients for a long time. Kanthong Saenmuangshin, who was at the hospital for routine tests, went into labour as the ground began to shake.
Her water broke exactly when the strong tremors occurred. "I was telling my baby, don't come out yet," the woman later recounted in a conversation with Reuters.
The entire situation was extremely tense because during the earthquake, hospital patients were evacuated to the ground floor or outside. The medical staff quickly took action to assist Kanthong. The woman, who was on the fifth floor of the hospital, was carried down by the rescue team. After she gave birth, coinciding with the tremors, the ground shaking subsided.
Earthquake in Bangkok
The scale of destruction caused by the earthquake was immense. The epicentre of the tremors was located at a depth of approximately 10 kilometres, and the effects were felt not only in Thailand but also in neighbouring countries. In Myanmar, where the situation was particularly tragic, at least 1,700 people were killed and 3,400 were injured.
Thailand was not without casualties either – at least 17 people were killed, and 32 were injured as a result of the earthquake. The military government in Myanmar declared a state of emergency in six regions of the country where the tremors caused massive destruction.
Many people are considered missing, and the material losses are enormous. Authorities in Myanmar and Thailand immediately launched rescue operations aimed at finding the missing and providing assistance to the victims.
