6.8 Earthquake Strikes Myanmar

Myanmar, located near the border of China and Thailand, was struck by a 6.8 magnitude quake on Thursday, March 24, 2011 at 08:25:12 PM - Local Time at Epicenter. It was a shallow quake, which can be very destructive. The Geological Survey said the quake was 6 miles (10 km) deep, putting it very close to the surface. The USGS said that an aftershock hit with a preliminary magnitude of 4.8 and a depth of 6 miles a half hour after the initial quake. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the earthquake was too far inland to raise the threat of a tsunami. "In my 40 years, I never felt an earthquake this strong. A glass broke and I had to hold on to a pillar," Thanawan Sisukniyom, a retired teacher in Mai Sai, told Reuters by telephone. Witnesses in Chiang Mai, Thailand's second-largest city, reported no immediate damage but said the quake was strong. If you want to see more of the Reuters report, go here. A witness in the Myanmar town of Tachilek, which borders Chiang Rai, said parked motorcycles fell to the ground and cracks were seen in the road. “I felt I was swaying like a child in a cradle,” said Nutpisut Thongkika, 50, a teacher, in a telephone interview from Chiang Rai. “The situation here was very chaotic when the earthquake hit.” So far, there has been one casualty. It was reported that residents near the epicenter in tall buildings were immediately evacuated to a safe place until tremors subsided. If you want to see more of The New York Times report, go here.