August 2016 – MYANMAR – At least four people are dead after a powerful earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.8
shook central Myanmar on Wednesday, knocking glasses off tables and
sending people running out of buildings in the country’s largest city.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake was centered about 25
kilometers (15 miles) west of Chauk, an area west of the ancient capital
of Bagan. It was located fairly far below the Earth’s surface at a
depth of about 84 kilometers (52 miles), it said. Deep earthquakes
generally cause less surface damage.
At least 185 brick pagodas in Bagan
were damaged, the Ministry of Religious and Cultural Affairs said in a
statement. Bagan, also known as Pagan, has more than 2,200 structures
including pagodas and temples constructed from the 10th to the 14th
centuries. Many are in disrepair while others have been restored in
recent years, aided by the U.N. cultural agency UNESCO.
The vast site is the country’s premier
attraction for tourists, who can view a panorama of temples stretching
to the horizon flanked by the mighty Irrawaddy River, an especially
impressive experience at sunset. Dr. Myo Thant, general secretary of the
Myanmar Earthquake Committee, said other areas apparently were not
badly affected and there were no reports of deaths. However, police
officer Htay Win in Pakokku, about 70 kilometers (45 miles) from the
epicenter, said one person there had been killed and one injured. “The
person was killed by falling bricks from a building,” he said.
Vincent Panzani, a staff member in
Pakokku for the aid agency Save the Children, said several of his
colleagues from the area said it was the strongest earthquake they have
experienced. “We felt quite heavy shaking for about 10 seconds and
started to evacuate the building when there was another strong tremor,”
he said in comments sent by email. “Most of the reports of damage have
been to the pagodas in the area with dozens impacted. There have also
been reports of damage to smaller, more basic buildings including a
collapsed wall and a destroyed roof.”
Worried residents of Yangon, the
country’s main city, rushed out of tall buildings, and objects toppled
from tables and from Buddhist shrines in homes. However, there were no
immediate reports of serious damage in the city. The quake was also felt
in a half dozen states in neighboring India, where people rushed out of
offices and homes at several places. It caused buildings to sway in
Bangkok, Thailand’s capital, several hundred kilometers (miles) to the
east. There were no immediate reports of damage in either country. The
last major quake in the area — which is often affected by smaller
tremors — occurred in April about 300 kilometers (180 miles) further
north, and measured magnitude 6.9. It caused no reported casualties and
only minor damage. –Weather
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