Heritage sites among landmarks damaged in Myanmar earthquake

Mandalay Palace and several Buddhist temples are among the thousands of buildings to have been damaged in Myanmar following the 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck the north of the country on Friday.

The death toll for the earthquake, which occurred close to Mandalay, Myanmar's second-biggest city, has surpassed 1,700, and it is believed to have damaged at least 3,000 buildings in the country.

It also rattled neighbouring Thailand, where a high-rise office building under construction in Bangkok experienced total collapse and at least 18 people were killed.

Bangkok also rattled by quake

Entire neighbourhoods, hospitals, bridges and railways have been left in ruins in Myanmar, and authorities have estimated that approximately 150 mosques and pagodas have been destroyed by the quake, which was followed by a 6.7-magnitude aftershock.

Among the landmark heritage sites in Myanmar to have been heavily damaged is Mandalay Palace, which dates back to 1857 and is the last royal palace of the last Burmese monarchy. Photos show that a large pagoda on the palace walls has toppled, while a number of its walls have crumbled.

The Buddhist temple Mandalay Mahamuni has also collapsed, while the spire of Shwe Sar Yan Pagoda, another key Buddhist site, has fallen.

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