Early Friday, a major 7.7 magnitude earthquake that originated near Mandalay, Myanmar, shook the Earth as far as Bangkok, about 800 miles away.

The death count from a massive earthquake in Myanmar has jumped to 1,644, with 3,408 people injured, the country's ruling junta said Saturday.

A major 7.7 magnitude earthquake that originated near Mandalay, Myanmar shook the Earth as far as Bangkok, with deadly consequences.

A powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake killed at least 144 people near the epicenter in Myanmar and injured hundreds more. In neighboring Thailand, several were killed when a high-rise tower collapsed.

Earthquakes are rare in Bangkok, but relatively common in Myanmar. The reason is that the country sits on the Sagaing Fault, a major north-south fault that separates the India plate and the Sunda plate.

The death toll from a powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake in Myanmar jumped to more than 1,000 on Saturday as more bodies were pulled from the rubble of scores of buildings that collapsed when it struck near the country's second-largest city.

Earthquakes strike when tectonic plates, the large rocks making up the Earth’s crust, rub against each other. The USGS says the Myanmar quake occurred due to “strike slip faulting” between the India and Eurasia plates - which Myanmar sits on top of.

A major, 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck in Myanmar on Friday, according to the United States Geological Survey. At a depth of about six miles, the quake was relatively shallow, which made it likely to cause violent shaking.