Doomsday scene in Bangkok after earthquake

The unfinished 30-story building in Bangkok collapsed after the earthquake (Photo: Reuters).

The earthquake brought Bangkok to a near standstill on March 28. All metropolitan rail services were temporarily suspended, and roads were gridlocked in one of Asia's largest cities.

The earthquake killed at least 10 people and left more than 100 missing at three construction sites in Bangkok's Din Daeng, Bang Sue, and Chatuchak districts.

Rescue teams and sniffer dogs are continuing their race against time to search for missing people in the rubble.

Foreign tourists , some shirtless, others wearing bathrobes or swimming trunks, were forced to leave their hotels and join the crowds evacuating high-rise buildings in Bangkok's business district. Many panicked at the rare earthquake, which caused some skyscrapers to shake for minutes.

People waiting for a bus in Bangkok on March 28 (Photo: Reuters).

Crowds gathered outside luxury hotels, offices, and shopping malls. Many were directed to the expansive Lumpini Park following warnings of aftershocks.

"I ran down from the seventh floor of a shopping mall, and it was chaos. It was like the end of the world. People were screaming and running for shelter," said Yupadee Anujan, 34, a teacher who took refuge in a park.

She added, "The air raid sirens were blaring constantly... which scared me even more, so I tried to walk to the park as fast as I could."

Videos shared on social media showed streams of white water cascading down the sides of the 37-story Intercontinental Hotel as the earthquake shook the building.

Authorities in the city of over 11 million people received 169 calls reporting damage to buildings by late afternoon. Temporary shelters have been set up around the city for those unable to return to their homes.

Scenes of chaos in Bangkok after the earthquake (Video: X).

Buses were packed, motorbikes inched forward, while sidewalks were crowded with people trying to find transportation as traffic came to a standstill. Many chose to walk home.

"Today I truly learned the term 'disaster victim,' and I hope this is the first and last time," shared a social media user in Bangkok who spent three hours walking nearly 10 kilometers back home.

Bangkok Mayor Chadchart Sittipunt has ordered the city's four largest parks to stay open all night and provide food, water, and shelter for thousands of people unable to return home.

Among them was Natcha, who had to spend the night in Lumpini Park because she was afraid to return to her home and workplace in the high-rise building. "When the earthquake struck and the shaking was at its worst, I wasn't sure if I would survive. The shaking was that intense," she recounted.

The moment a 30-story building under construction in Bangkok collapsed (Video: X).