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The cause of the earthquake with a 7.7 magnitude that hit central Myanmar and parts of Bangkok, Thailand, has been revealed.
The United States Geological Survey, USGS, announced on Friday morning that an earthquake with a 7.7 magnitude had occurred in Myanmar with Bangkok among other areas affected.
The earthquake was described as shallow, arising at a depth of just 10km (6 miles), but the damage is expected to be enormous.
Following the collapse of multiple buildings, destruction of roads and bridges, the death toll is climbing from the current 144 with fatalities reported in both Myanmar and Thailand.
According to experts, earthquakes occur when huge slabs of rock that make up the Earth’s crust, known as tectonic plates, move against each other.
USGS said that the Myanmar quake occurred as the result of “strike slip faulting” between the India and Eurasia plates.
It means that these two tectonic plates rubbed sideways against each other.
The country’s military-led government said in a statement that 1,002 people have now been found dead and another 2,376 injured, with 30 others missing. The statement suggested the numbers could still rise, saying “detailed figures are still being collected.”
Myanmar is in the throes of a prolonged and bloody civil war, which is already responsible for a massive humanitarian crisis. It makes movement around the country both difficult and dangerous, complicating relief efforts and raising fears that the death toll could still rise precipitously.
The earthquake struck midday Friday with an epicenter not far from Mandalay, followed by several aftershocks including one measuring a strong 6.4 magnitude. It sent buildings in many areas toppling to the ground, buckled roads, caused bridges to collapse and burst a dam.
