Myanmar authorities reported that three people were killed and at least 228 temples and pagodas have been damaged in the whole of Mandalay after a 6.8 magnitude natural disaster struck the country on August 24. Bagan, also known as Pagan, has more than 2,200 structures, including pagodas and temples, constructed from the 10th to 14th centuries.
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The magnitude 6.8 quake, which struck 129 miles (208 kilometers) northwest of Myanmar’s second largest city Mandalay on Wednesday, shook buildings across the country, with tremors felt as far away as Thailand, Bangladesh and eastern India.
The quake also was felt in half a dozen states in neighboring India, where people rushed out of offices and homes at several places.
In recent years, as the country undergoes a democratic transition and opens up following decades of isolationist junta rule, Unesco has worked directly with the government to safeguard the monuments.
The quake, which struck at 5:04 p.m. local time on Wednesday, was centered about 25 kilometers (15 miles) west of the town of Chauk in central Myanmar, or 58 kilometers (36 miles) northwest of the city of Yenangyaung. However, there were no immediate reports of serious damage in the city.
A collapsed building in a nearby town also killed a 22-year-old man and injured one woman, local police told AFP.
A man collect the pieces of mural painting scattered on the floor at the damaged, ancient Htilominlo Temple on August 25, 2016, after a 6.8 magnitude quake hit Bagan. But the overall damage and impact on local residents appeared limited, government officials said. “There has been no report of any damage”, Kolkata Metro CPRO Indrani Banerjee said.
Assessing the damage in the archaeological site in Bagan on Thursday, U Htin Kyaw called for protecting the heritage of ancient objects, stressing that the renovation work should maintain the original features with the help of foreign experts, Xinhua news agency reported.
Despite the depth of the quake and the relatively modest damage locally, reports say that buildings swayed in both the Thai capital, Bangkok – 1,000km to the southeast, and in Calcutta, India 700 km to the west. “Other buildings have visible cracks, but apart from that there’s no extensive damage”, said Maung Maung Kyaw.
The last major quake in the area occurred in April about 300 kilometers (180 miles) further north, and measured magnitude 6.9.
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8 magnitude – struck the centre of the country, killing 26 people and injuring hundreds.
