Firemen raced to save survivors trapped in the rubble of the earthquake in Myanmar.

Footage shows the rescue teams dragging an injured local wedged between concrete slabs in Mandalay on March 30. He winced in pain as he was laid out on a stretcher to be taken to the hospital.

Another man crawled to safety through a narrow gap in the debris.

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.

Residents ran from their homes when they felt the tremors shortly after 1:20 pm local time. More than 2,000 people in the country have been killed and some 4,000 injured, with rescue efforts ongoing.

The quake destroyed buildings, bridges, and dams, leaving many areas in ruins. Communication remains difficult as mobile networks are down, and access to electricity and the internet is limited.

In neighbouring Thailand, high-rise buildings shook and an apartment block under construction collapsed in Bangkok. At least 17 workers were killed.