YANGON, Myanmar – another attack from nature was felt when northeastern Myanmar was struck by a powerful earthquake on Thursday night. Luckily no tsunami was generated from the earthquake but one woman got killed and shakes buildings as far away as Bangkok.
The quake hit the in an area about 70 miles (110 kilometers) from Chiang Rai, where the three countries (Myanmar, Thailand and Laos) meet. According to Thai television, the northern Thai city fortunately sustained minor damage only. There’s no report of citizens that badly hurt so far.
However, a woman died according to the report was in an area of Chiang Rai, it just about two miles (four kilometers) from the border. It was said that the woman died when a brick wall collapsed on her, said police Capt. Weerapon Samranjai.
A police chief from another district near Chiang Ra, Maj. Gen. Mongkol Sampawapon said that it was like somebody was running on the roof and everybody was in a panic. Everyone seems to wonder what happened and came out their houses.
The information was securely controlled by the country’s military-controlled government. As of now there were no immediate reports of damage on Myanmar, considered to be a remote area where communications was hard and difficult even though at the best of times.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the 6.8-magnitude quake that struck Myanmar was just six miles (10 kilometers) deep. By that strength and depth, almost 600,000 people already could definitely feel shaking anywhere from strong to violent range. It happened that since the buildings in the area are considered weak, it is expected that it can result from moderate to very heavy damage.
In Bangkok, buildings and other infrastructures swayed for about 480 miles (770 kilometers) south of the epicenter.
An Australian resident of the Thai capital named Max Jones said that he was in his 27th apartment when the building he was on started shaking so hard and his things were also moving so he had to grab the walls to keep from falling.
“It was bloody scary, I can tell you,” Jones said. He also added that he could see people running in the streets.
Two smaller aftershocks, for about 4.8 and 5.4 in magnitude followed after the quake.
The quake couldn’t create a destructive tsunami because the said quake was located too far inland, said by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.