Shocking Earthquake Strikes Myanmar and Thailand: What You Need to Know
- HNN.WORLD Staff
- Mar 29
- 3 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
On Friday, Myanmar was hit by a strong 7.7 magnitude earthquake, and the tremors were felt as far away as Thailand, Cambodia, and India.
The worst damage from the quake hit Myanmar's historic city of Mandalay, close to the epicenter in the Sagaing region. Buildings collapsed, roads cracked, and the state media reported that over 140 people lost their lives.
Myanmar has experienced several big earthquakes before, including a deadly 7.3 magnitude quake in 1930 in the southern city of Bago that killed at least 550 people, according to a UN report.
With nearly four years of civil war already taking a toll on the country, Myanmar is especially vulnerable to earthquakes. So why is it so risky there? And just how strong was this quake?
What Causes Earthquakes to Shake the Ground?
An earthquake happens when the Earth's crust, made up of large, moving plates, suddenly shifts, releasing built-up energy.
These plates move at different speeds and directions on the mantle, a layer that's almost solid but still flows. When the plates get stuck, the energy builds up until it’s finally released, causing the ground to shake. If it happens under the ocean, it can even cause huge waves, called tsunamis.
Aftershocks are common because the first earthquake shifts the stress in the ground, leading to more movement, says Will Yeck, a seismologist at the US Geological Survey (USGS).
What’s Below Myanmar That Makes It Vulnerable to Quakes?
Myanmar is located between two massive tectonic plates, the India and Eurasia plates, which makes it highly vulnerable to earthquakes.
The boundary between these plates is known as the Sagaing Fault, which runs for about 1,200 km (745 miles) through cities like Mandalay and Yangon.
The USGS explains that the recent earthquake happened because the India and Eurasia plates were sliding past each other sideways, a type of movement called “strike-slip faulting.”
Dr. Rebecca Bell, a tectonics expert at Imperial College London, compares the Sagaing Fault to California’s famous San Andreas Fault, which caused the deadly 1994 Northridge earthquake.
“The fact that it’s so straight means earthquakes here can affect a large area, and the larger the area that shifts, the stronger the quake,” she said.
How Strong Was the Earthquake in Myanmar and Thailand?
Scientists measure earthquake strength using the Moment Magnitude Scale, which replaced the Richter scale in the 1970s.
This 7.7 magnitude quake was pretty strong, causing lots of destruction in Myanmar and Thailand.
In Bangkok, a 33-story high-rise that was still under construction collapsed, killing at least eight people and trapping many workers beneath the rubble.
Mandalay was hit hard, buildings fell, the royal palace was damaged, and a key bridge was destroyed. Other cities like Naypyidaw and Yangon felt the shaking too. So far, at least 144 people have died.
The USGS says around 800,000 people were in the area where the shaking was strongest, and the death toll could still rise.
How Much Damage Did the Earthquake Cause?
The earthquake was very close to the surface, only about 10 km (six miles) deep, making it even more dangerous.
Dr. Ian Watkinson, a geologist from Royal Holloway, University of London, says that shallow earthquakes like this one are worse because “the shaking doesn’t lose much energy before it hits the surface.”
Unlike places like California and Japan, which have strict building codes to handle earthquakes, Myanmar and Thailand are not as prepared.
Watkinson points out that Myanmar has seen a lot of new construction, especially tall buildings made of reinforced concrete, which might not be strong enough to survive a big quake.
He believes the damage could be similar to what happened in southern Turkiye in 2023, where many buildings fell because they weren’t built properly.
