The powerful earthquake, which had its epicenter in central Myanmar about 13 miles from Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city, struck around 12:50 p.m. local time, the New York Times reported. It was followed by several tremors, including a 6.4 magnitude aftershock which occurred just 11 minutes later.

Myanmar was hit by a powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake on Friday, with tremors felt across Thailand and in nearby Chinese provinces. Satellite images reveal the scale of the destruction.

The 7.7 Myanmar temblor raises questions about earthquake preparedness in Southeast Asia — and California. What can the rest of the world learn?