A Malaysian man living in Bangkok became an unlikely hero when he helped an elderly woman descend 40 flights of stairs after a powerful earthquake rocked Myanmar and Thailand.

Khen Han Ming, 41, who lives in the tallest residential tower in Nonthaburi province, about 30 minutes from Bangkok, was on a call with his girlfriend when the 7.4-magnitude quake struck central Myanmar.

“I thought I was dizzy at first, that maybe it was my blood pressure, but then I saw the whole building swaying. Water was pouring down from the rooftop pool like a waterfall. It was surreal,” he told FMT.

Despite the panic that had set in, he managed to put on a pair of trousers and grabbed essential items, including his passport, wallet and phone, before dashing to the condominium’s emergency staircase.

As he made his way down the 57-storey building, he spotted an elderly woman and her daughter struggling to descend.

“She reminded me of my mum. I just couldn’t leave her there. She had a heart condition and was already praying and asking for help,” he said.

Khen stayed with the woman all the way down, occasionally carrying her when she was too weak to walk. “I don’t want to exaggerate and say I carried her the whole way, but I held her, supported her, and made sure she got down safely,” he added.

Parts of the ceiling were falling and cracks formed along the walls as they made their way down the stairs with many other occupants for over 30 minutes.

“It felt like being in a box on a ship, and the ship was swaying side to side,” he said.

Once outside, Khen said he borrowed a wheelchair to take the woman to safety at a nearby market, about 200m away.

Khen, who was recently laid off from his job, said the experience left a deep impact on him. “After all this, I just felt like crying. I told myself, ‘If I’m going to die, I want to at least die helping someone.'”

He said checks on his condo unit showed no major damage, though residents have been asked to report cracks or structural issues.

The massive earthquake, which struck about 55km southwest of Mandalay, Myanmar, caused several deaths across the region and toppled buildings in both Myanmar and Thailand.

Khen said his only regret in this whole ordeal was not being better prepared. “At first, I ran out in my underwear. I didn’t even think about grabbing shoes. This has taught me how unprepared we are for disasters like this. Everyone should have a go-bag near the door,” he said.