Rescuers are desperately searching for survivors more than three days after a powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar, toppling buildings as far away as the Thai capital Bangkok and sending tremors through nearby Chinese provinces.

At least 1,700 people are now confirmed dead in Myanmar after what was the largest earthquake to hit the war-ravaged country in more than a century, authorities say. Experts fear the true death toll could take weeks to emerge.

Widespread damage has been reported after the quake caused bridges and buildings to collapse, including in Bangkok, where authorities are trying to free dozens believed to be trapped under the rubble of an under-construction high-rise. The epicenter was recorded in Myanmar’s central Sagaing region, near the former royal capital Mandalay, home to around 1.5 million people, as well as multiple historic temple complexes and palaces.

Those at the epicenter of the quake are largely cut off following the collapse of a key bridge over the country’s Irrawaddy River, according to local officials.

Meanwhile, foreign aid and international rescue teams have started arriving in Myanmar after the military junta issued a rare plea for help.

Friday’s quake was the deadliest natural disaster to hit the country in years and comes as Myanmar reels from a civil war that since 2021 has damaged communication networks, battered health infrastructure and left millions without adequate food and shelter.

At least 1,700 people are dead and 3,400 injured, according to the country’s military government. Nearly 300 others remain missing.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) estimated that the final death toll could surpass 10,000 people, based on early modeling.

In Bangkok, hundreds of miles from the epicenter, at least 18 people were killed. Of these, 11 died when an under-construction building collapsed in minutes, leaving dozens trapped under the rubble. Seven fatalities were reported elsewhere in the capital, authorities said.

Search and rescue operations are ongoing in Bangkok for around 80 people who remain missing, as families gather at the site of the collapsed high-rise for any news of their loved ones.

The earthquake was the most powerful to strike Myanmar since it was rocked by a 7.9-magnitude temblor in 1912 in Taunggyi, a city also in central Myanmar.

Aftershocks, the largest of which was a 6.7-magnitude tremor Friday, have continued throughout the weekend, according to the USGS.