Terrified passengers crowded on the airport tarmac as an earthquake caused devastation across Myanmar and Thailand today.

Footage shows the panicked fliers after they evacuated planes and the Mandalay International Airport building, which suffered significant damage from the quake.

The Great Wall Hotel in Mandalay was also reduced to rubble as the powerful tremor shook Aungpan Township and neighbouring Thailand.

A colonial-era bridge in Sagaing had also collapsed into the Irawaddy River, as well as dozens of buildings across Myanmar, or Burma.

The US Geological Survey said the tremor struck at a depth of 10 kilometres (six miles), and was centred in Myanmar, around 50 kilometres (30 miles) east of Monywa City.

Across Bangkok, terrified residents and workers ran into the streets after the quake caused buildings to sway at around 2:20 pm local time.

Many buildings were evacuated as they swayed in the rare quake.

Debris was seen falling from several high-rise buildings. Officials closed roads and evacuated buildings as they assessed the damage and prepared for aftershocks.