There have been no reports of Maldivians being hurt in the earthquake that hit both Myanmar and neighbouring Thailand on Friday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said.
The shallow 7.7-magnitude tremor hit northwest of the city of Sagaing, central Myanmar, and was followed minutes later by a 6.4-magnitude aftershock, toppling buildings, rupturing roads and collapsing the well-known Ava bridge.
In neighbouring Thailand, with a considerable Maldivian population the effects of the earthquake shook multistorey buildings, while a 30-storey building under construction collapsed in Bangkok.
The Ministry in a statement said it was closely monitoring developments and contacting the resident Maldivian population in Thailand, through its Embassy in Bangkok.
However, so far there have been no reports of injuries to any Maldivians, the statement said.
The Ministry said it was also working through diplomatic channels to determine if any Maldivians are in Myanmar, especially the most affected zones of the earthquake.
As both countries have declared a state of emergency following the devastation, the Ministry has urged all Maldivians to abide by the instructions of the host governments.
The Ministry has urged all Maldivians in Thailand and Myanmar to contact the Ministry or Embassy hotlines for more information or assistance.
The quake was felt across the region, with China, Cambodia, Bangladesh and India all reporting tremors.
So far 20 deaths have been reported across Myanmar and Thailand, with hundreds more feared trapped under collapsed buildings.