More than 70 die in powerful Burma earthquake

Published on Friday 25 March 2011 16:54

A POWERFUL earthquake that toppled homes in north-eastBurma has killed more than 70 people, and there are fears that the toll will mount as conditions in more remote areas become known.

The Thursday night earthquake, measured at magnitude 6.8 by the US Geological Survey, was centered just north of Tachileik town in Shan State, near the Thai border. It was felt hundreds of miles away in the Thai capital, Bangkok, and the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi.

Burmese state radio announced yesterday that 73 people had been killed and 111 injured. It said 390 houses, 14 Buddhist monasteries and nine government buildings were damaged.

Significant damage was also reported in the villages around Tachileik, including to bridges and roads, which developed massive fissures and complicated relief efforts.

A UN official said a small hospital and bridge were damaged in the nearby town of Tarlay, making it difficult to access the area. The private relief agency World Vision said water tanks and wells were also damaged, making water scarce.

The UN official said medicine would be sent to the affected areas as soon as possible, along with an assessment team in cooperation with the Burmese Red Cross Society. He said 95,000 people were estimated to live near the epicentre, but it was unknown how many suffered damage from it.

Most of rural Burma, one of Asia's poorest countries, is under-developed, with poor communications and other infrastructure, and minimal rescue and relief capacity.