Collapse of control tower closes airport in Myanmar capital

The main airport in Myanmar’s capital Naypyitaw has been closed after a major earthquake on Friday caused its air traffic control tower to collapse, killing at least six people, according to sources.

The 7.7-magnitude earthquake, which struck near Mandalay at around noon of Friday, also forced the closure of the airport there, amid reports of extensive damage to aviation equipment.

In Naypyitaw, a source told Myanmar Now that an air traffic controller, three female assistants, the two-year-old son of one of the assistants, and a military intelligence officer were confirmed dead following the collapse of the tower.