Huge Earthquake Strikes Northern Thailand

A 6.0 magnitude earthquake centered 6 miles south of Mae Lao struck northern Thailand on Monday evening around 6:08 P.M. local time. No casualties were reported, but the strong earthquake knocked goods off shelves and caused damage to houses, roads, and Buddhist temples.

Thailand’s Meteorological Department measured the earthquake at 6.3 while the U.S. Geological Survey measured it at 6.0. The depth of the earthquake was measured at 4.6 miles, making it relatively shallow. Shallow earthquakes are more widely felt and cause more damage, and in this case, the earthquake was felt as far as Myanmar.

In Yangon, Myanmar’s largest city, people quickly evacuated office buildings when the earthquake struck. Chiang Mai and Bangkok both felt severe shaking, and the airport in Chiang Rai had to evacuate its terminal due to falling signs and debris.

The well-known Wat Rongkhun was also closed to due safety concerns about the stability of the temple. “The spire of the main building came off and the tiles on the roof fell off,” Chalermchai Kositpiphat, the artist who designed the temple, told Nation TV. “I still don’t know how we can sleep tonight…. It was shaking the whole time and then aftershocks followed four to five times.”

In the Udomwaree Temple, the head of a Buddha statue fell off. Monk Phra Pathompong also reported cracks and ceiling damage in several residential buildings at the temple. However, residents only reported minimal to no damage in their homes.

The earthquake also caused damage in roads, especially in Chiang Rai, where deep gashes in the road reached lengths of up to three vehicles. The cleanup and repair efforts may be delayed due to rain showers and thunderstorms in the region.

Despite all the damage, there were no injuries or deaths. “No injuries have been reported so far but we’re hearing that some provincial roads have sustained some damage with large cracks appearing,” confirmed a Chiang Rai police officer to Huffington Post.

The area around Northern Thailand is seismically active and earthquakes are quite common around Southeast Asia due to its many fault lines. Many countries like Myanmar and Indonesia often feel earthquakes, some larger than others. However, the last earthquake that rivaled Monday’s was the December 13, 2006 earthquake of 5.1 magnitude.

The 6.0 earthquake that northern Thailand experience on Monday suggests that Southeast Asia will not be seeing the end of earthquakes anytime soon. While not devastating, Monday’s earthquake left some damage to houses, roads, and temples.

[Image via Commons.Wikimedia.org]