Strong quake hits central Myanmar, at least five dead

A major earthquake hit central Myanmar on Sunday near Mandalay, its second-biggest city, but reports suggested damage was limited and officials contacted knew of only five dead, although several construction workers were missing.    

The 6.6 magnitude earthquake struck around 60 km (37 miles) northwest of Mandalay, the US Geological Survey said. It was quite shallow at around 10 km (6 miles) deep.    

Several very strong aftershocks hit the region but there were no reports of serious damage in Mandalay.    

Residents in Bangkok, the capital of neighboring Thailand, also felt the quake.    

An official at Mandalay Meteorological Department said the epicentre was near the town of Shwebo and struck at 7:41 a.m. (0111 GMT).    

Local media said a half-built bridge over the Irrawaddy River between Kyauk Myaung and Singgu had collapsed.    

A police officer in Shwebo, the administrative centre, said one woman had died and 10 people had been injured in Kyauk Myaung.    

State television, the usual mouthpiece for government statements in Myanmar along with state-run newspapers, gave a report on the quake that did not mention casualties or damage.

Local media reported minor damage in several areas around Mandalay, including Amarapura, a town popular with tourists because of its monasteries and the longest teak bridge in the world. Pagodas had been damaged there, media said.       

President Barack Obama is set to become the first US leader to visit Myanmar this month, the strongest international endorsement of the country's fragile democratic transition.   


REUTERS