A strong 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar on Friday, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said, causing buildings to sway in Bangkok, the capital of neighbouring Thailand.

USGS said the earthquake was shallow with a depth of 10 kilometres. Its epicentre was near the Burmese city of Sagaing, close to Mandalay..

There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties in either Myanmar or Thailand.

The quake caused alarms to go off in buildings across Bangkok as thousands of residents ran down staircases of high-rise apartments and hotels and onto the street.

The greater Bangkok area is home to more than 17 million people, many of whom live in high-rise apartments.

The quake was forceful enough to send water sloshing out of pools, some high up in high-rises, as the tremor shook.

Videos on social media showed people gathering in the streets of the Thai capital.

Our journalists are working on this story and will update it as soon as more information becomes available.