A powerful earthquake centered in Myanmar has killed more than 150 people in the war-torn country and neighboring Thailand and caused widespread damage.
Here is what we know:
Powerful and
A powerful earthquake centered in Myanmar has killed more than 150 people in the war-torn country and neighboring Thailand and caused widespread damage.
Here is what we know:
The 7.7-magnitude quake hit northwest of Myanmar’s Sagaing at 12:50 pm (0650 GMT) on Friday at a shallow depth of 10 kilometers (six miles).
It was followed minutes later by a powerful 6.7-magnitude aftershock and a dozen smaller tremors.
The quake was felt across the region, with shaking reported from India to the west and China to the east, as well as Cambodia and Laos.
The quake hit along the Sagaing Fault that runs from the coast to Myanmar’s northern border, according to earthquake scientists Judith Hubbard and Kyle Bradley.
It “has long been considered one of the most dangerous strike-slip faults on Earth” because of its proximity to major cities Yangon and Mandalay, as well as capital Naypyidaw, they wrote in an analysis.
The fault is comparatively simple and straight, which geologists believe can lead to especially large quakes, they added.
At least 144 people have been confirmed dead in the quake in Myanmar, according to the country’s junta chief.
However, Min Aung Hlaing warned the toll was likely to rise given the widespread destruction across the country.
