The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake was centered about 15 miles west of Chauk, an area west of the ancient capital of Bagan. It was located fairly far below the Earth`s surface at a depth of about 52 miles, it said. Deep earthquakes generally cause less surface damage.
Worried residents of Yangon, the country`s main city, rushed out of tall buildings, and objects toppled from tables and from Buddhist shrines in homes. However, there were no immediate reports of serious damage in the city.
USGS said some casualties and damage were possible, but the impact was likely to be fairly localized.
The quake was also felt in a half dozen states in neighboring India, where people rushed out of offices and homes at several places. It caused buildings to sway in Bangkok, Thailand`s capital, several hundred miles to the east. There were no immediate reports of damage in either country.
Magnitude-6.8 earthquake shakes central Burma
24 August 2016
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A powerful earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.8 rocked central Burma on Wednesday, knocking glasses off tables and sending people running out of buildings in the country`s largest city.
