War-torn Myanmar is now a city of destruction. The country has been turned upside down by a 7.7 magnitude earthquake. The death toll has risen rapidly to over a thousand. Many are still missing. In this situation, it is feared that the death toll in the country could exceed 10,000.
The destructive power of this terrible earthquake in Myanmar was equal to 334 nuclear bombs. American geologist Jess Phoenix told the country’s mass media CNN that the amount of energy released by the Myanmar earthquake is equal to about 334 nuclear bombs.
The geologist also warned that Myanmar will be at risk of earthquakes for at least the next two months. He said that Myanmar’s location on the Indian tectonic plate and the Eurasian tectonic plate. The earthquake was caused by the shift of these two plates. This shift will continue for another 2 months. Therefore, Myanmar will be at risk of earthquakes for the next two months.
More than 1,002 people have been officially reported dead in a powerful earthquake in Myanmar. However, experts believe that the actual death toll will be higher. The number of injured in the incident is also on the verge of surpassing 2,500. Many more are missing.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) has warned that the death toll in the Myanmar earthquake could exceed 10,000. The USGS has issued a red alert, indicating widespread casualties and damage.
The 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar at 12:50 p.m. local time. Its epicenter was 10 kilometers below the surface. The epicenter of the earthquake was about 17.2 kilometers from the city of Mandalay, Myanmar. At least 14 aftershocks have hit the country since this powerful earthquake.
These aftershocks struck within a few hours of the 7.7-magnitude earthquake, which had a magnitude of 3 to 5. The strongest was a 6.7-magnitude earthquake, which struck about 10 minutes after the main earthquake.
Two of the aftershocks, measuring 4.9 and 6.7, occurred about 20 miles from Mandalay, Myanmar’s second largest city, causing significant damage. The others struck to the north and south of the main quake.
Sources: BBC, Al Jazeera, Reuters