Doomsday scene in Bangkok after earthquake

An unfinished 30-story building in Bangkok collapsed after an earthquake (Photo: Reuters).

The earthquake brought Bangkok to a virtual standstill on March 28. All metro rail services were suspended and roads were blocked in one of Asia’s largest cities.

The earthquake killed at least 10 people and left more than 100 missing at three construction sites in Bangkok's Din Daeng, Bang Sue and Chatuchak districts.

Rescue workers and sniffer dogs continue to race against time to search for missing people in the rubble.

Foreign tourists , some shirtless, others in bathrobes or swimming trunks, left their hotels and joined crowds evacuating high-rise buildings in Bangkok's commercial district, many panicked by the rare earthquake that shook some skyscrapers for several minutes.

People waiting for a bus in Bangkok on March 28 (Photo: Reuters).

Crowds gathered outside luxury hotels, offices and shopping malls. Many were directed to the sprawling Lumpini Park after warnings of aftershocks.

"I ran down from the seventh floor of a shopping mall, the scene was chaotic. It was like the end of the world. People were screaming and running for shelter," said teacher Yupadee Anujan, 34, who took shelter in the park.

She added: "The sirens kept going.... this made me more scared, so I tried to walk to the park as quickly as possible."

Videos shared on social media showed white water pouring down the sides of the 37-storey Intercontinental Hotel as the earthquake shook.

Authorities in the city of more than 11 million people received 169 calls reporting damage to buildings by late afternoon. Temporary shelters were set up around the city for people unable to return to their homes.

Chaotic scenes in Bangkok after the earthquake (Video: X).

Buses were packed, motorbikes were jostling to get through, while sidewalks were packed with people trying to find a way to move as traffic came to a standstill. Many people chose to walk home.

"Today I really learned about the phrase disaster victim, I hope this is the first and last time," a social media user in Bangkok who spent 3 hours walking nearly 10km back home shared.

Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt ordered the city's four biggest parks to stay open overnight and provide food, water and shelter to thousands of people unable to return home.

Among them was Natcha, who had to spend the night in Lumpini Park because she was afraid to return to her home and workplace in the high-rise building. "When the earthquake happened and the shaking was the worst, I wasn't sure if I would survive. The shaking was that strong," she said.

The moment a 30-story building under construction in Bangkok collapsed (Video: X).