Four killed, 190 pagodas destroyed in Myanmar earthquake

Yangon, Aug 25: A 6.8-magnitude powerful earthquake, which shook Myanmar on Wednesday (Aug 24), killed at least four people and damaged 190 ancient famous pagodas in Bagan-Nyaung Oo region and Rakhine state, official report said on Thursday (Aug 25). [Strong quake rocks Myanmar, tremors felt in East India]

A man and a women died in Pakkoku township in Magway region when a tobacco processing factory collapsed and two young girls aged seven and 15 also lost their lives in Yenanchaung township, Xinhua quoted local Information and Public Relations Department as saying.

The earthquake's effects were felt in neighbouring Bangladesh and India's northeast and Kolkata megapolis.

According to the Indian Meteorological Department, the epicentre of the earthquake was at a point 190 km south of Myanmar's Mandalay city and about 19 km west of Chauk town. The depth of the earthquake was 90 km.

This is second time in two days that tremors were felt in Myanmar. On Tuesday, a 5.5-magnitude earthquake in the Myanmar-India border region also rocked Assam, Tripura, Mizoram, Meghalaya and some other parts of northeast India. However, there was no report of major damage.

The quake, the strongest among the 26 quakes that have rocked the country since January 2016, is said to have damaged the building of the House of Nationalities in Nay Pyi Taw.

IANS