A strong 6.8 magnitude earthquake, which covered Myanmar, Thailand, Bangladesh and eastern India, hit the western Burmese State of Arakan damaging several ancient pagodas, buildings and traffic bridges including one in Kyauk Pru locality.
The Wednesday afternoon tremor damaged four ancient pagodas in Mrauk U and Rambree, informed U Nyein Lwin, managing director of Mrauk U archaeology department to Narinjara News.
“The upper plate of Radana Man Aung temple along with the umbrella of the pagoda on its top was damaged by the quake. The umbrella of the shrine also fall down to the ground. Many parts of Koe-Thaung pagoda and Ra-da-na-pon pagoda were also damaged,” said U Nyein Lwin.
Another ancient pagoda named Ko-ran-daw Taung in Rambree locality of Kyauk-Pru district also got damaged due to the tremor. The umbrella with ornamental shrine of the pagoda fall down.
Similarly, a traffic overpass known as Lone-daw-pauk bridge located between Taungup and Kyauk-Pru also damaged as a pillar of the bridge bending down. The authority has now prohibited the movement of vehicles over the bridge.
Min-Bya high School on the Lay-Mro riverside also got damages, but there was no report of causality, as the school was over by the time the tremor hit, said a local named U Maung Kyaw Zaw.
According to the US Geological Survey, the quake struck 12 miles west of Chauk in central Myanmar in the depth of 84 km.
Around Myanmar, over 200 pagodas were damaged, where most of those were reported from Bagan locality of central Myanmar. According to the BBC report, at least three people were killed in central part of Myanmar due to the collapse of buildings.
