Fire department rescue workers examine the remains of a building destroyed by the earthquake in Taungdwingyi township, Magwe Region. Photo: Facebook / Myanmar Fire Services DepartmentFire department rescue workers examine the remains of a building destroyed by the earthquake in Taungdwingyi township, Magwe Region. Photo: Facebook / Myanmar Fire Services Department
The quake, which the agency said struck at a depth of 84 kilometres (52 miles), was felt in Yangon, as well as in the Thai and Bangladesh capitals (see map below).
Officials from Myanmar's Relief and Resettlement Department confirmed four casualties, as well as damage to 68 stupas and pagodas.
The epicentre was near Chauk, a town on the Ayeyarwady River around 30 kilometres south of Bagan, Myanmar's most famous archaeological site and home to more than 2,500 Buddhist monuments.
"Some famous pagodas were damaged during the earthquake," a tourist police officer from Bagan said, adding some of the damage in the major tourist destination was "serious".
Soe Win, a regional MP from the township in Magwe region, told AFP the tremors lasted for several minutes.
"There was also some sound as well. A pagoda collapsed in Salay and a building also collapsed," he said. The death of a 22-year-old in a building collapse near the epicentre was also confirmed.
Dhammayangyi temple shrouded in dust following a 6.8 magnitude earthquake, which damaged 67 other temples and stupas across the region. Photo: AFPDhammayangyi temple shrouded in dust following a 6.8 magnitude earthquake, which damaged 67 other temples and stupas across the region. Photo: AFP
The USGS estimated that the impact would be "relatively localised" but noted that many buildings in the region are "highly vulnerable" to earthquake shaking.
The quake was also felt in the Indian city of Kolkata, rocking tall structures and sending panicked residents out onto the streets.
"Services of the underground railway have been suspended fearing aftershocks of the quake," Kolkata Metro Railway spokesman Indrani Banerjee told AFP.
It was also felt throughout south and southwestern Bangladesh close to the border with Myanmar, with television footage showing residents running into the streets.
At least 20 people were injured as panicked workers tried to flee a building in the industrial area of Savar outside Dhaka, ATN Bangla television reported.
"All of us ran to the streets leaving the houses and shops unsecured as the quake seemed very dangerous," Nazmus Sakib from the southern city of Chittagong close to the Myanmar border wrote on his Facebook wall.
Earthquakes are relatively common in Myanmar, though there has not been a major quake since 2012.
The last major quake struck in a nearby region in April and caused minor damages but no casualties.
This story is developing, and will be updated as more information becomes available.
Source : Myanmar Times
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