William Yeck, a geophysicist from the US National Seismic Information Center, said the 7.7 Richter earthquake that shook central Myanmar was as powerful as the earthquake that shook Turkey and Syria two years ago.
Mr. William Yeck noted that he and his colleagues classified the March 28 earthquake as an event with a "huge impact".
"We consider this a red event because of its high population density. This was a large, shallow earthquake. So we expect strong shaking, he said.
In terms of scale, the intensity of 7.7 is equivalent to the intensity of the earthquake in Turkey in 2023. This is the intensity of the damage" - he noted.
The 7.8-magnitude richter that occurred in central Turkey and western Syria in 2023 killed more than 53,000 people, but the number of casualties often depends on many factors, including population density, the level of earthquake resistance in the area and earthquakes that occurred during the day or night.
Yeck also warned that more aftershocks could occur. People living in this area should prepare for stronger earthquakes, he said.
Compared to Thailand, earthquakes are relatively more common in Myanmar. From 1930 to 1956, there were 6 strong earthquakes with an intensity of 7.0 richter near the Sagaing Break running through the center of Myanmar.
Thailand is not a region that is prone to earthquakes and most of the earthquakes felt here, although very rare, originate in neighboring Myanmar.
Since buildings in Bangkok are not designed to withstand strong earthquakes, structural damage can be significant.
