Severe Earthquake Hits Burma

www.irrawaddy.org

The Irrawaddy September 22, 2003
Earthquake in Central Burma
By Naw Seng

A severe earthquake hit central Burma late last night.

An official from the Kaba Aye Seismology Survey Center in Rangoon said the
quake began at 12:46am local time and measured 6.7 on the Richter scale.
Its epicenter lied east of Taungdwingyi town, 220 miles north of Rangoon.
Taungdwingyi town is home to nearly 60,000 people.

There have been no reports of casualties, but the official said he was
aware of "a lot of damage." A preliminary report from the US Geological
Survey’s National Earthquake Information Center said, "This earthquake may
have caused damage due to its location and size."

The Australia Broadcasting Company reported that three ancient pagodas
collapsed in Taungdwingyi.

A spokesperson from the Myanmar Red Cross Society in the capital, which is
actively involved in responding to fires, floods and landslides inside
Burma, said its office has not yet received a damage and casualties report
from its local office in central Burma.

In July 1975, an earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale occurred in
central Burma and destroyed or heavily damaged many monuments, temples and
pagodas in Pagan, Burma’s ancient city.