YANGON: As of 6am on Saturday (March 29), a total of 77 mild aftershocks were recorded in Myanmar following the massive 7.7-magnitude earthquake near Mandalay on March 28, according to the Thai Meteorological Department’s Earthquake Observation Division.
These aftershocks are of low magnitudes and were not felt in several areas of Thailand, the department said.
The initial earthquake, with a magnitude of 7.7 and a depth of 10km, was reported at around 1.20pm near Mandalay, about 392km from Pang Mapha district in Thailand’s Mae Hong Son province.
The tremors affected northern and central Thailand, especially Bangkok, causing damage to buildings in several districts.
The department added that the earthquake and aftershocks were caused by the Sagaing Fault, a major fault in Myanmar. The fault is a primarily continental right-lateral transform fault between the Indian and Sunda plates.
The Sagaing Fault links the divergent boundary in the Andaman Sea with the zone of active continental collision along the Himalayan front.
It passes through the populated cities of Mandalay, Yamethin, Pyinmana, the capital Naypyidaw, Toungoo, and Pegu before dropping into the Gulf of Martaban, running for a total length of over 1,200km.
At 3.24am on March 29, the department also reported a 2.0 magnitude aftershock centered in Tambon Wiang Nuea, Pai district, in Mae Hong Son province. - The Nation/ANN
