The preliminary recording by United States Geological Survey (USGS) found the epicentre of the natural disaster 25 km to the west of Chauka in Myanmar. The quake, which the agency said struck at a depth of 84 kilometres, swayed high-rise buildings in the Thai capital of Bangkok, AFP journalists reported.
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The pagodas were amongst structures damaged by Wednesday’s 6.8 magnitude natural disaster. Police officers cordoned off most the damaged ancient pagodas.Bagan, the centrepiece of Myanmar’s fast-growing tourism industry, has around 2,000-3,000 pagodas and temples, spread over a 42-sq km plain ringed by mist-covered mountains. Many are in disrepair while others have been restored in recent years, aided by the United Nations cultural agency UNESCO.
The vast site is the country’s premier attraction for tourists, who can view a panorama of temples stretching to the horizon flanked by the mighty Irrawaddy River, an especially impressive experience at sunset.
The local MP Han Zaw Win of Pakokku township said one man was also killed in the Pakokku. “Many people were scared and they ran out of the buildings”, local official Maung Maung Kyaw said.
Elsewhere, damage appeared to have been relatively light, although reports were still filtering through as night fell.
Duong Bich Hanh, an official with UNESCO in Bangkok, said Myanmar authorities should approach rebuilding the damaged temples in Bagan “very cautiously.to make sure the site is restored properly for the long-term enjoyment of future generations”.
“We have to record and fix the damage to the pagodas, but it will have to be done systematically”.
“It takes time to know how the structures are stabilised and how bad the actual damage is – if a roof collapses, how much it affects different walls and mural paintings”, Alam said.
The quake also damaged the country’s parliament building and shook tall buildings in Yangon.
Although tremors from the quake were felt as far away as Thailand, Bangladesh and eastern India, initial assessments showed that wider damage was limited. There were no immediate reports of damage in either country.
The last major quake in the area occurred in April about 180 miles farther north, and measured magnitude 6.9.
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Both the Myanmar Ministry of Religious and Cultural Affairs and the Myanmar Earthquake Committee made the announcement before revealing that may have been the extent of the more serious damage the earthquake caused.
