Death toll in Myanmar quake jumps to 694, 1670 injured

The death toll from a massive earthquake in Myanmar has jumped to 694, with 1,670 people injured, the country’s ruling junta said Saturday (March 29), Gulf News reported.

The shallow 7.7-magnitude quake struck northwest of the city of Sagaing in central Myanmar on Friday causing massive destruction across large parts of the country.

The powerful quake hit northwest of Myanmar’s Sagaing at 12:50 pm (0650 GMT) on Friday at a shallow depth of 10 kilometres (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 United States Geological Survey (USGS) said at least 14 aftershocks hit Myanmar after a 7.7-magnitude earthquake.

The death toll in Myanmar quake is expected to exceed 10,000, the USGS said.

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.