Earthquake in Myanmar

On March 24, 2011 a 6.8 magnitude earthquake hit a southeast Asian country of Myanmar (also known as Burma) with two aftershocks at magnitudes of 4.8 and 5.4. With the recent earthquake and the destruction in Japan on March 11,  I hadn't heard much about the earthquake in Myanmar. It hit on the Thai and Lao borders of the country, and was also felt in surrounding areas including the Thai capital Bangkok and the Vietnamese capital Hanoi.

The death toll was at 73, as reported by CBC on March 25, along with 111 people injured. There was 390 houses damaged, 14 Buddhist monasteries and nine government buildings. The last update that I could find on April 5 was on Earthquake-Report.com and stated that there is in total 702 houses damaged, 3,152 people homeless and 18,000 people affected. The death toll stands currently at 74, with 111 people injured. However, these numbers could change quickly. The government has a history of keeping information from the public so they can avoid criticism. In 2008 during the Cyclone Nargis, the government delayed reporting on it and 130,000 people were killed. There was also another earthquake that hit north of the area with a 5.4 magnitude, on March 11, the same day that the 9.0 magnitude earthquake hit Japan. (BBC)

Cracks formed in Thailand's Chiang Rai province in the buildings downtown, which is about 90 k from the the point where the earthquake hit. The cracks went through some buildings such as a provincial hospital and city hall.

The main focus is now to find the homeless shelter immediately. The Myanmar Red Cross Society (MRCS) and the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) with Noble Compassionate Volunteer (NCV) and World Vision Myanmar found that 90 villages were moderately or severely affected. Most of the families and currently living in tents and are in need of various materials including blankets and household utensils.