A magnitude-6.8 earthquake has struck central Myanmar, shaking buildings across the South-East Asian nation

The quake hit the town of Chauk, southwest of Mandalay, the Myanmar Government said, with tremors felt as far away as Bangkok, where witnesses reported high-rise buildings swaying, and the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka.

At least three people have been killed with the quake damaging several Buddhist temples in the ancient city of Bagan, police said.

A fire department official from regional capital Magwe said two young girls were killed when a riverbank gave way in Yenanchaung township, south of Chauk.

One person was killed and another injured when a tobacco processing factory collapsed in the town of Pakkoku, to the north, the duty officer at the local fire department said.

Save the Children's Vincent Panzani, who was in Pakkoku, said there had been reports of damage to pagodas in the area and smaller buildings including several cracked or collapsed walls and a destroyed roof.

"We felt quite heavy shaking for about 10 seconds and started to evacuate the building when there was another strong tremor," he said.

"Several of our staff who've lived in this part of Myanmar their whole lives said it was the strongest earthquake they've ever felt."

There were no other confirmed casualties, and early reports suggested limited damage overall.

Maung Maung Kyaw, a local official of the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD), said his house shook during the quake.

"Many people were scared and they ran out of the buildings," he said.
"I went outside to check the situation in the town. Some of the buildings are split and nearly collapsed, but I don't see any people affected by the quake."