Friday, March 25, 2011

6.8-magnitude earthquake on Thai-Burmese border kills more than 40

Friday, March 25, 2011
Aye Aye Win
The Associated Press

YANGON, MYANMAR—A strong earthquake that toppled homes in northeastern Burma has killed more than 40 people, and there were fears Friday the toll would mount as conditions in more remote areas became known.

The Thursday night quake, measured at a magnitude 6.8 by the U.S. Geological Survey, was centred just north of the town Tachileik in the mountains along the Thai border, but was felt hundreds of kilometres away in the Thai capital Bangkok and Vietnamese capital Hanoi.

Burma state radio announced Friday that 41 people had been killed and 48 injured in the quake. It said 244 houses, 14 Buddhist monasteries and nine government buildings were damaged.

An official from the U.N.'s World Food Program said there were many casualties and serious damage in Mong Lin village, eight kilometres from Tachileik. State radio said 29 were killed there and 16 injured.


The state-run New Light of Myanmar newspaper reported that 15 houses collapsed in the village of Tarlay, where state radio said 11 were killed and 29 injured. Another U.N. official said a small hospital there was partially damaged as well as a bridge, making it difficult to access the village.

The newspaper said another two people were killed in Tachileik, including a 4-year-old boy. It said six people were injured in the town, which is just across the border from Mae Sai in Thailand's Chiang Rai province.

In Mae Sai, one woman was killed when a wall fell on her, according to Thai police, but damage was otherwise minimal.

Most of rural Burma, one of Asia's poorest countries, is underdeveloped, with poor communications and other infrastructure, and minimal rescue and relief capacity.

The second U.N. official said medicine would be sent to the affected areas as soon as possible along with an assessment team in co-operation with the Myanmar Red Cross Society.

Both U.N. officials spoke on condition of anonymity because Burma's government frowns on giving unauthorized information to the media.

Somchai Hatayatanti, the governor of Chiang Rai province, said dozens of people suffered minor injuries on the Thai side of the border. Cracks were found in buildings in downtown Chiang Rai city, about 90 kilometres from the epicentre, including a provincial hospital and city hall. The tops of the spires fell off from at least two Buddhist temples.

As a precaution for aftershocks, a relief centre was being set up Friday in Mae Sai.

"We are worried that the area might be hit with stronger quakes. There was another quake at 7 a.m. this morning," said Somsri Meethong of the Mae Sai District office, referring to an aftershock. "I had to run again like last night. What we have seen on TV about Japan added to our fear."

6 comments:

Prasad said...

In all countries where earthquakes hits they should be build houses with the technologies of Japan. Then only we can prevent death rate.

Anonymous said...

Good. I wish the earthquake will kill all the thai that want to invade the Preah Vihear.

Anonymous said...

GEEZ..HOW POSSIBLE YOUN AND SIAM GOT EARTHQUAKE BUT NOT KHMER..
MAY GOD BLESS CAMBODIA..
MAY EVIL PUNISHING THOSE BAD COUNTRIES THAT WANNA DOING SOMETHING BAD TO KHMER PEOPLE
ONE DAY TSUNAMI WILL HIT BANKCOCK CITY,HANIO AND UNCLE HO CITY..
LONG LIVE HUN SEN DYANSTY..

Anonymous said...

Next time, the 8.0 quake will hit Koh Kong and Sihanoukville with 30 feet tsumami.

Anonymous said...

actually, the earthquake goddess will shake bangcock right underneath it so bangcock will crumple to peaces, ok!

hanoi is next too, ok! cambodia is safe from earthquake and tsunami, you know! god bless my country cambodia.

Anonymous said...

The world is divided into plates;
there are small plates and large plates.Each plate is pushing each other or some they pushed over one the others.
So,the earthquakes can destroy cities
or islands.The earthquakes and the volcanoes happened at the same time.
The countries that located close to
the earth plates can cause big damages.
Today Cambodia is lucky,but tomorrow we don't know.