• Source:JND
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Myanmar Earthquake: - A strong earthquake rocked Southeast Asia on Friday, bringing down a skyscraper under construction in Bangkok and toppling buildings in neighbouring Myanmar’s second-largest city. At least one person was killed and dozens of workers were rescued from under the rubble of the skyscraper, Thailand's National Institute of Emergency Medicine said. Witnesses in Bangkok said people ran out onto the streets in panic, many of them hotel guests in bathrobes and swimming costumes as water cascaded down from an elevated pool at a luxury hotel.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said the quake, which struck at lunchtime, was of 7.7 magnitude and at a depth of 10 km. It was followed by a powerful aftershock. The epicentre was about 17.2 km from the city of Mandalay in Myanmar, which has a population of about 1.5 million.

Panic grips Bangkok

While the area is prone to earthquakes, it is generally sparsely populated, and most houses are low-rise structures. The midday temblor was followed by a strong 6.4 magnitude aftershock, and people in Bangkok evacuated from their buildings were cautioned to stay outside in case there were more.

"All of a sudden the whole building began to move, immediately there was screaming and a lot of panic," said Fraser Morton, a tourist from Scotland, who was in one of Bangkok's many malls shopping for camera equipment. "I just started walking calmly at first but then the building started really moving, yeah, a lot of screaming, a lot of panic, people running the wrong way down the escalators, lots of banging and crashing inside the mall," added the tourist.

Thailand is experiencing earthquakes frequently

While the area is prone to earthquakes, it is generally sparsely populated, and most houses are low-rise structures. In the Sagaing region, just southwest of Mandalay, a 90-year-old bridge collapsed, and some sections of the highway connecting Mandalay and Myanmar's largest city, Yangon, were also damaged.

Residents in Yangon rushed out of their homes when the quake struck. There were no immediate reports of injuries or deaths. In the capital Naypyitaw, the quake damaged religious shrines, sending parts toppling to the ground, and some homes.

Why is Myanmar prone to earthquakes?

Myanmar’s latest earthquake shows how risky it is to live there because it sits on the Sagaing Fault, a huge crack in the earth about 1,200 kilometres long. This fault is where two big pieces of the earth, the Indian Plate and the Burma microplate, push against each other, causing lots of earthquakes. The area's shaky ground comes from these plates bumping into each other all the time. People who saw it said it was scary, buildings wobbled, and everyone ran outside as the ground shook hard.

Thailand has a deadly history of earthquakes

The Sagaing Fault has caused big earthquakes before, like a super strong one in 1946 that was 7.7 on the scale and another in 2012 that hit 6.8. This shows how shaky the area is. The fault is where two big chunks of landslide pass each other sideways. Scientists figure they move between 11 and 18 millimetres each year, pretty slow, but it adds up. Over time, this sliding builds up pressure, andan earthquake happens. That movement, up to 18 millimetres a year, means a lot of energy gets stored up, which could turn into a powerful quake. 

(With inputs from agencies)