7.0 Earthquake hits Myanmar near China and Thai borders; no tsunami
By the CNN Wire Staff
(CNN) — A powerful earthquake hit Myanmar Thursday near its borders with China, Thailand, and Laos, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
The quake hit in eastern Myanmar, about 70 miles (110 km) from Chiang Rai, Thailand, the survey reported.
It had a magnitude of 6.8, the survey said, revising the estimate down from an initial reading of 7.0.
It was a relatively shallow quake, which can be very destructive. The Geological Survey initially said the quake had a depth of 142 miles (230km), but it later revised its estimate to say the quake was 6 miles (10 km) deep, putting it fairly close to the surface.
There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
A destructive tsunami is not expected, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said. In advice to government agencies, the center said the quake “is located too far inland and too deep inside the earth to generate a tsunami in the Indian Ocean.”
Myanmar, which is also known as Burma, has been badly hit by natural disasters in the past few years.
A powerful cyclone in 2008 left an estimated 100,000 people dead, and another one two years later left 70,000 people homeless, the United Nations estimates.
source: www.cnn.com
