Strong earthquake felt in Bangkok this morning; no reports of tremors in Phuket

– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community

PHUKET: A major earthquake measuring 6.6 magnitude struck central Myanmar this morning, around 60 km (37 miles) northwest of the city of Mandalay, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

Residents in Bangkok, the capital of neighbouring Thailand, also said they felt the strong quake.

There have been no known reports of tremors in Phuket.

There have likewise been no immediate reports from Myanmar of damage or injuries from the quake, which was initially measured at 7.0 magnitude and which was quite shallow at around 10km (6 miles) deep.

Residents from Mandalay, the second biggest commercial city in central Myanmar, told Reuters that they felt a very strong tremor at about 7:30 a.m.

“I’ve never felt such a strong tremor. I also heard some loud noises and the lights went out. No idea about the damage,” a local resident said.

Several very strong aftershocks also hit the region.

The Mandalay Meteorological Department said the quake hit on the west bank of the Ayeyawaddy River, Myanmar’s largest river and most important commercial waterway, but it had not yet received reports of damage.

Myanmar is among Asia’s poorest countries.

Its quasi-civilian government has opened up the country since taking over in March 2011 from the military, which had ruled for nearly 50 years, and pushed through political and economic reforms, leading Western countries to relax sanctions.

— Phuket Gazette Editors

Thailand News