The Malaysian embassy in Bangkok has been temporarily sealed pending a safety assessment in the wake of the earthquakes that struck Myanmar today.

The foreign ministry advised all Malaysians in Bangkok to avoid the Kronos Sathorn Tower premises.

It also advised Malaysians to assemble at the embassy complex next to Sathorn Garden in case of an emergency.

Wisma Putra said in a statement this evening that the foreign ministry is closely monitoring the situation following the two powerful earthquakes in Myanmar, with tremors felt in Thailand and Vietnam.

The 7.7-magnitude earthquake this afternoon, which was followed by a powerful aftershock, brought down a skyscraper under construction in Bangkok and toppled buildings in Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city.

Thailand’s National Institute of Emergency Medicine said at least one person was killed and dozens of workers rescued from under the rubble of the skyscraper.

The earthquake’s epicentre was about 17.2km from Mandalay, which has a population of about 1.5 million.