New Zealanders who were caught in the middle of the 7.7 earthquake that struck Myanmar and Thailand overnight have described the chaotic scenes in the moment and its aftermath.
Kiwi Hannah Hansen and her Australian partner Jake Reinders were in a food court on the seventh floor of CentralWorld, a large shopping complex in Bangkok, when they noticed all the lamps starting to sway.
"Everyone started screaming and running to the escalators," Hansen told 1News.
"I was genuinely afraid there was going to be people dying in a crush. I thought people were going to get crushed to death."
Reinders described hearing the roof making "really big cracking sounds" and then the sound of "shattered glass".
"You could feel the ground underneath, kind of swaying, like that vertigo kind of feeling," said Reinders.
Hansen said while the quake lasted for "probably a minute and a half", the aftershocks made it feel "like a really long time because it wouldn't stop".
She added that there was "absolutely no evacuation procedure – people just eventually decided that they would leave the building".
When the couple left the building 10 to 15 minutes later, the streets were "just covered in people" who had been evacuated from nearby skyscrapers, she said.
Reinders said while some were "freaking out and panicking", others appeared to be calm.
He said an older man was being tended to by a woman after fainting.
"The atmosphere was more that of confusion."
After returning to their apartment, the couple quickly packed up their belongings "knowing we had to leave", Reinders said.
However, they soon realised they were unable to get to the airport after trains were cancelled and they were unable to order a taxi.
Reinders and Hansen later learned the airport had been evacuated.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) said the airport has resumed operating.
'Bang, bang, bang'
Another Kiwi who was caught in the chaos was Scott Clotworthy, who was in another shopping mall when the quake hit.
"I was halfway through my bowl of noodles when... the room started shaking," Clotworthy said.
"I thought I was getting dizzy, and then people started screaming."
He remembered hearing a "bang, bang, bang" as the building swayed back and forth from the impact.
"My mind immediately went to 9/11 and the floors concertinaed on themselves."
It was only after he joined the throng of people rushing to the exit and contacted his wife that he realised it had been an earthquake.
"It then turned into quite a scene on the streets of Bangkok."
Scores of workers are still missing at the site in Bangkok. (Source: 1News)
Clotworthy then collected his son from his school 700 metres away.
The pair stopped at a kiosk for ice blocks and slushies as they made the 3.5 kilometre trek home.
As they did so, Clotworthy said they spotted nurses run in cradling newborn babies after evacuating the hospital across the road out of fear of aftershocks.
Clotworthy said he was due to return to work in the morning.
An MFAT spokesperson said that currently seven Kiwis are registered in Myanmar and 203 in Thailand, and those in the affected areas should follow the advice of local authorities.
"New Zealanders should also let their family and friends in New Zealand know that they are safe when they are able to.
"We have no indication that any New Zealanders have been killed or injured in the earthquakes."
Any New Zealanders requiring urgent consular assistance has been advised to contact the 24/7 consular emergency line on +6499202 20.
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