A powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar’s Sagaing region near the city of Mandalay on Friday, causing extensive damage and sending tremors into neighboring Thailand. The quake, one of the strongest to hit Myanmar’s mainland in over 70 years, highlights the country’s seismic vulnerability and raises concerns over preparedness.
Myanmar is one of the most seismically active countries in the world due to its position on the boundary between two major tectonic plates. The India Plate and the Eurasia Plate move past each other in a horizontal motion, causing “strike-slip” earthquakes. While these quakes are generally less powerful than those occurring in subduction zones, they can still reach magnitudes of 7 to 8, as seen in Friday’s event.
According to Joanna Faure Walker, an earthquake expert at University College London, the Sagaing Fault runs north to south through Myanmar, making it a hotspot for seismic activity. Despite its tectonic setting, large and destructive earthquakes have been relatively rare in the Sagaing region.
Although Sagaing has experienced previous quakes, such as a 6.8-magnitude event in 2012 that resulted in at least 26 deaths, Friday’s earthquake was described as “probably the biggest” in the region since 1956 by UCL expert Bill McGuire. The quake’s shallow depth just 10 km (6.2 miles) below the surface contributed to its destructive force.
Shallow earthquakes cause more damage because seismic waves do not dissipate before reaching the surface. As a result, buildings and infrastructure bear the full impact of the shaking, leading to significant structural collapses and casualties. Roger Musson, an honorary research fellow at the British Geological Survey, emphasized that the focus should not just be on the epicenter, as seismic waves radiate along the entire fault line
Myanmar’s infrastructure was not built to withstand such a strong earthquake, particularly in the Sagaing region. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has warned that fatalities could range between 10,000 and 100,000, with economic losses potentially reaching 70% of Myanmar’s GDP.
The country’s preparedness is hindered by the rarity of major seismic events in the region, leading to weak enforcement of earthquake-resistant construction standards. With most of Myanmar’s seismic activity concentrated further west, cities like Mandalay were not adequately reinforced for such a disaster.
Friday’s earthquake serves as a stark reminder of the need for improved seismic resilience and preparedness in Myanmar and other quake-prone regions.
