The six earthquakes that shook Myanmar on Friday occurred along the Sagaing Fault, the country’s longest fault line, stretching 1,200 km, according to Dr OP Mishra, director of the National Centre for Seismology (NCS).
“This is not the first time an earthquake above magnitude 7 has occurred in this region,” Mishra told ANI, highlighting that the area has a history of strong seismic activity.
The initial 7.2-magnitude quake struck at 11:50 am IST at a shallow depth of 10 km, followed by a powerful 7.0-magnitude aftershock at 12:02 PM.
Additional aftershocks of 5.0, 4.9, 4.4, and 4.3 magnitude were recorded in the subsequent hours.
Mishra explained that the depth of the main tremors ranged between 20-30 km, making them more destructive. He also noted that Bangkok suffered damage due to the rupture of the Sagaing Fault extending toward the Thai capital, an alluvial belt with high liquefaction risks.
“The tremors were strongly felt in Bangkok, where some buildings could not withstand the shock,” Mishra said.
Authorities are monitoring aftershocks, with the final count expected in the next 24 hours, NCS stated.
