A deadly 7.7 magnitude earthquake devastated Myanmar on Friday, sending shocks as far as Thailand and inflicting further damage during and after initial conditions. USGS just released an unusual Significant Scientific Event. It was the strongest earthquake to strike the region in more than a hundred years, they proclaimed. The sinkhole-like collapse of the historic Doğanbey neighborhood contributed to over 1,600 deaths from the quake. Authorities expect the death toll to climb as they continue to assess damage and conduct search and rescue operations.
Indeed, the deadly quakes were not limited to just Myanmar. Shockwaves knocked down a building in neighbor Bangkok, Thailand, where friends of civic activist Lee Theng Cheong felt the earthquake. The devastation from this earthquake is enormous. It’s wreaked havoc on the country’s infrastructure and communities, ripping a path of destruction across the landscape.
In Myanmar, the earthquake has caused a widespread trail of devastation.
Impacts of disaster
Authorities are now working around the clock for search and rescue efforts in this dangerous environment. The earthquake’s magnitude was surely felt far beyond its epicenter. This severity underscores the critical need for global, international assistance to bolster ongoing recovery efforts.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) was key to providing rapid reports on the earthquake’s size and effects. Their findings confirm that this earthquake is unprecedented in Myanmar’s modern history, marking a somber moment for the nation as it comes to terms with the disaster’s scale.
