Poor myanmar and Thailand earthquake; High toll is feared while buildings strengthen

Friday, a powerful earthquake struck the center of the Myanmar, garnishing open roads, overthrowing centenary religious monuments and destroying buildings with several states while shaking a large expanse of Southeast Asia and treated another severe blow to a country that was torn apart by the civil war.

Although the number of deaths remains uncertain, expert estimates have warned that it could be extraordinary, given the dense population and vulnerable structures near the epicenter, just outside Mandalay, the second largest city in Myanmar. The United States Geological Survey modeling estimated that the number of deaths was likely to exceed 10,000 and that there was a high possibility of a much higher toll.

A preliminary count of the Military Government of Myanmar said that at least 144 people had been killed and 732 injured in only three cities – but that did not include Mandalay.

The earthquake, measured by the USGS with magnitude of 7.7, was strong enough to level a 33 -story building which was under construction at more than 600 miles in Bangkok, in neighboring Thailand. According to the authorities. They were all presumed to be members of the crew of workers of 320 people who set up the new building of the Thai government.

The earthquake, which struck around 12:50 p.m. local time was only the third of its size to strike the region during the last century, and the USGS analysis placed the epicenter at only 10 miles from the heart of Mandalay, a city of around 1.5 million people. A replica of magnitude 6.7 was recorded about 11 minutes later, the first of several important tremors that followed the first.