Published : 28 Mar 2025, 09:14 PM
The strong earthquake of 7.7 magnitude and the aftershock measuring at 6.8 on the Richter scale in Myanmar have wreaked havoc, but the Bangladeshis are “safe”, according to Md Monwar Hossain, the Bangladesh ambassador to Myanmar.
On Friday, he posted on Facebook: “All Bangladeshi citizens in Myanmar are safe. Allah be praised.”
At least 144 people in Myanmar have been killed and 732 injured by a major earthquake that struck the country on Friday, Reuters cited state-run MRTV on Friday.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said the quake, which struck at lunchtime, was of 7.7 magnitude and at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). The epicentre was about 17 km from Mandalay, which has a population of about 1.5 million.
It killed several people and caused extensive damage in Thailand as well, with rescuers in Bangkok searching for 117 people in the rubble of a collapsed building. Thai media reported five deaths so far.
The tremors of the quake shook parts of Bangladesh, China, India and Vietnam.
A US government predictive analysis based on the strength and depth of Friday's earthquake in Myanmar estimated there could be thousands of deaths and severe economic loss, with the Sagaing and Meiktila regions worst hit.