Three earthquakes jolt Myanmar on Thursday

Naypyitaw [Myanmar], May 15 (ANI): An earthquake of magnitude 3.3 on the Richter Scale jolted Myanmar on Thursday, a statement by the National Center for Seismology (NCS) said.

As per the NCS, the earthquake occurred at a shallow depth of 10km, making it susceptible to aftershocks.

In a post on X, the NCS said, "EQ of M: 3.3, On: 15/05/2025 13:31:01 IST, Lat: 26.67 N, Long: 96.17 E, Depth: 10 Km, Location: Myanmar."

https://x.com/NCS_Earthquake/status/1922933604524621976

Earlier in the wee hours of the day, another earthquake of magnitude 3.4 struck the region.

In a post on X, the NCS said, "EQ of M: 3.4, On: 15/05/2025 05:46:23 IST, Lat: 26.97 N, Long: 95.80 E, Depth: 10 Km, Location: Myanmar."

https://x.com/NCS_Earthquake/status/1922810687174119853

Another earthquake struck Myanmar on Thursday, the details of which were shared on X by NCS.

"EQ of M: 3.4, On: 15/05/2025 00:41:59 IST, Lat: 25.98 N, Long: 97.19 E, Depth: 10 Km, Location: Myanmar."

https://x.com/NCS_Earthquake/status/1922736023123149251

Shallow earthquakes like these are more dangerous than deeper ones due to their greater energy release closer to the Earth's surface. This causes stronger ground shaking and increased damage to structures and casualties, compared to deeper earthquakes, which lose energy as they travel to the surface.

In the aftermath of the magnitude 7.7 and 6.4 earthquakes that struck central Myanmar on March 28, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned of a series of rapidly rising health threats for tens of thousands of displaced people in earthquake-affected areas: tuberculosis (TB), HIV, vector- and water-borne diseases.

More than 3.5 million people in Myanmar were already displaced before the earthquakes. Tens of thousands are now homeless, according to the WHO South East Asia statement.

Although Myanmar is an earthquake-prone country, there has not been proposed an official national seismic hazard map.

Myanmar is vulnerable to hazards from moderate and large magnitude earthquakes, including tsunami hazards along its long coastline.

The Sagaing Fault elevates the seismic hazard for Sagaing, Mandalay, Bago, and Yangon, which together represent 46 per cent of the population of Myanmar. Although Yangon is relatively far from the fault trace, it still suffers from significant risk due to its dense population. For instance, in 1903, an intense earthquake with a magnitude of 7.0 that occurred in Bago also struck Yangon. (ANI)

(The story has come from a syndicated feed and has not been edited by the Tribune Staff.)