Massive Earthquake Devastates Myanmar, Triggering Regional Tremors

Why in the News ?

A 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar, causing widespread destruction in Mandalay and killing at least 144 people. The quake’s impact was felt in Thailand and Northeast India, highlighting the dangers of the Sagaing Fault.

Massive Earthquake Devastates Myanmar, Triggering Regional Tremors

Highlights of the  Massive Earthquake in Myanmar (Impact and Immediate Effects):

  • A powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar, causing extensive damage in Mandalay, the country’s second-largest city.
  • The quake was followed by six aftershocks and resulted in the death of at least 144 people.
  • Thailand also felt the impact, where an under-construction skyscraper in Bangkok collapsed, killing one person.
  • Northeast India experienced tremors, but no casualties or significant property damage were reported.
  • The epicenter was 2 km from Mandalay at a shallow depth of 10 km, making it the strongest earthquake globally in the last two years, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).

Causes of the Earthquake (Geological Explanation):

  • The earthquake resulted from “strike-slip faulting” between the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates, where the plates slid past each other horizontally.
  • The quake occurred along the Sagaing Fault, a major tectonic plate boundary running north to south through central Myanmar.
  • The Indian plate is moving northward along the Sagaing Fault relative to the Eurasian plate.
  • Earthquakes are caused by stored elastic strain energy being suddenly released when tectonic plates slip past one another, generating seismic waves.

Myanmar’s Earthquake History and Vulnerability (Past Incidents):

●     The Sagaing Fault makes Myanmar highly prone to earthquakes, with six quakes of magnitude 7 or higher recorded since 1900.

●     Notable events include a 7.9 magnitude earthquake in February 1912 and a 6.9 magnitude quake in 2016.

●     In 1990, a 7.0 magnitude quake caused the collapse of 32 buildings.

●     The worst-known earthquake in the region occurred in 1839, estimated at 8.3 magnitude, killing 300-400 people.

●     Myanmar’s seismic activity remains a significant threat due to the tectonic interactions along the Sagaing Fault.