Travel Forum / Destinations / Asia / September 2003

Though some misguided readers may believe that by posting this I am
establishing myself as pro-earthquake, it is worth noting that apparently
more than just the three ancient temples were damaged in last week's
quake.

September 29, 2003

Damage from quake worse than reported

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) - An earthquake that rocked
central Myanmar last week caused much more damage in a
town near the epicentre than previously reported, a
newspaper said Sunday.

The magnitude 6.7 quake struck early last Monday about
350 kilometres (220 miles) north of the capital
Yangon, shaking parts of neighbouring Thailand. There
were no reports of injuries.

Myanmar officials initially said three ancient temples
and a bridge were damaged in the town of Taungdwindyi,
about 450 kilometres (280 miles) north of Yangon.

But tremors from the earthquake damaged many other
structures in the city, according to a report in the
semiofficial Myanmar Times, quoting Tun Lwin, deputy
director of the Yangon Kaba Aye Meteorological Centre.

He said Taungdwindyi was the city worst affected by
the quake.

The newspaper report gave no details about the damage.

Tun Lwin said it was the strongest earthquake in
Myanmar since a magnitude 7.1 tremor hit the northern
town of Tagaung in 1991.

About 12 powerful earthquakes have rocked Myanmar in
the past 145 years, with the strongest measuring
magnitude 8.0 in the Shan state capital of Taunggyi in
1912, the report said.

A 6.8 magnitude quake in 1975 caused extensive damage
to the ancient temples of Bagan, the official was
quoted as saying.