Rumbling Reality: Myanmar's Vulnerability to Earthquakes Revealed

A 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar's Sagaing region, causing widespread damage and raising questions about the country's preparedness. Myanmar, located on a tectonic plate boundary, is prone to seismic activity. Recent events stress the need for infrastructure designed to withstand such powerful quakes.

A potent 7.7 magnitude earthquake rocked Myanmar's Sagaing region near Mandalay, resonating as far as Thailand on Friday, highlighting Myanmar's susceptibility to seismic events.

Myanmar is situated along a tectonic plate boundary and experiences significant seismic activity, although large tremors have been infrequent in the Sagaing region. The boundary between the India Plate and Eurasia Plate cuts through the center of the country, causing "strike slip" quakes that, while generally less potent than subduction zone quakes, can still reach magnitudes of 7 to 8.

Friday's quake, being shallow with an epicenter depth of merely 10 km, inflicted severe damage, underscoring the necessity for earthquake-ready infrastructure in Myanmar, particularly around heavily populated areas like Mandalay that aren't accustomed to such intense seismic forces.

(With inputs from agencies.)