Death toll from earthquake jumps to 153 in Myanmar, Thailand

An 7.7-magnitude earthquake centered in Myanmar shook southeast Asia on Friday, killing at least 144 people in the country and nine in neighbouring Thailand, as efforts to retrieve people from collapsed buildings continued. 

Myanmar's state media said 144 people have been confirmed dead and 732 were injured. The toll is expected to rise.

Much of the destruction appeared to have taken place in Mandalay.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said the quake, which struck at lunchtime, was of 7.7 magnitude and at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). The epicentre was about 17 km from Mandalay. 

A rescue worker from the Moe Saydanar charity group told Reuters that it had retrieved at least 60 bodies from monasteries and buildings in Pyinmanar, near Myanmar's capital Naypyidaw, and more people were trapped.

The quake also hit Thailand, where rescuers in the capital Bangkok were searching in the rubble of a tower block that had been under construction and collapsed. There were 117 people missing and nine dead following the building collapse, according to the rescue operation.