Quake-damaged temple misidentified as sacred site in Myanmar's Yangon city
It includes a video that shows the spire of a golden pagoda collapsing from tremors.
Myanmar's ruling junta has said more than 2,000 people have been killed following the shallow 7.7 magnitude quake that devastated cities across the country. Central Mandalay city, the second biggest with 1.7 million inhabitants suffered some of the worst destruction (archived link).
The tremor flattened a building as far away as Bangkok in neighbouring Thailand, killing at least 20 people.
Similar posts from other Thai users also claimed the video shows the revered Shwedagon pagoda that dominates Yangon's skyline but an AFP journalist saw the site on April 1 and confirmed it has not been damaged.
A reverse image search on Google using the video's keyframes found an identical TikTok video published on the day of the quake (archived link).
The Burmese caption reads in English as: "Zay Ti Gyi in Pindaya collapsed due to the earthquake at 1:51pm. I am deeply saddened by the crying of the people. Please kindly donate."
AFP was able to confirm the video shows the Zay Ti Gyi temple in Pindaya in Shan state by comparing it with a picture of the site geotagged on Google Maps and showing the same spire.
An AFP picture of the Shwedagon pagoda -- located 400 kilometres from the Zay Ti Gyi temple -- shows a different and much larger structure.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
7 hours ago
- New York Post
Archaeologists discover ancient blade factory in Israel — revealing rare link to major group in Bible
A 5,500-year-old Canaanite blade factory was recently uncovered in Israel — offering a rare link to a major group of people central to the Bible. The ancient workshop was discovered in Kiryat Gat, a city roughly 40 miles south of Tel Aviv. The workshop is the first of its kind found in southern Israel. The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) made the announcement in a Facebook post in late July. 'The most impressive findings discovered at the site are large flint cores, from which extremely sharp, uniformly shaped blades were produced,' the IAA said. 'The blades themselves were used as knives for cutting and butchering, and as harvesting tools, like sickle blades.' The remnants of the factory were unearthed at the city's Nahal Qomem archaeological site, which contains hundreds of underground pits once used for craft production, storage and other purposes. Pictures shared by the IAA show long flint blades that were recovered, as well as the large stone cores that were used to produce them. 5 A 5,500-year-old Canaanite blade factory was recently uncovered in Israel — offering a rare link to a major group of people central to the Bible. Israel Antiquities Authority Cores are chunks of raw stone from which blades were struck. The artifacts will be put on display at the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein National Campus for the Archaeology of Israel in Jerusalem. The IAA ties the discovery to the 'Canaanite blade industry,' referring to an ancient people described in the Bible as inhabiting the region before the Israelites. 5 'The most impressive findings discovered at the site are large flint cores, from which extremely sharp, uniformly shaped blades were produced,' the IAA said. Israel Antiquities Authority 5 The artifacts will be put on display at the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein National Campus for the Archaeology of Israel in Jerusalem. Israel Antiquities Authority Archaeologists say the tools align with the material culture of Canaan during the time of Abraham – and show how sophisticated the industry was. 'Only exceptional individuals' knew how to craft Canaanite blades, according to the IAA. The discovery deepens the understanding of craftsmanship in Israel, as well as urbanization during the Bronze Age, the IAA added. 5 The ancient workshop was discovered in Kiryat Gat, a city roughly 40 miles south of Tel Aviv. Israel Antiquities Authority 5 The discovery deepens the understanding of craftsmanship in Israel, as well as urbanization during the Bronze Age, the IAA added. Israel Antiquities Authority 'This is clear evidence that already at the onset of the Bronze Age, the local society here was organized and complex, and had professional specialization,' the organization added. 'The discovery of a sophisticated workshop indicates a society with a complex social and economic structure already at the beginning of the Early Bronze Age.'
Fox News
13 hours ago
- Fox News
Archaeologists uncover ancient blade factory tied to major group in the Bible: 'Exceptional individuals'
A 5,500-year-old Canaanite blade factory was recently uncovered in Israel — offering a rare link to a major group of people central to the Bible. The ancient workshop was discovered in Kiryat Gat, a city roughly 40 miles south of Tel Aviv. The workshop is the first of its kind found in southern Israel. The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) made the announcement in a Facebook post in late July. "The most impressive findings discovered at the site are large flint cores, from which extremely sharp, uniformly shaped blades were produced," the IAA said. "The blades themselves were used as knives for cutting and butchering, and as harvesting tools, like sickle blades." The remnants of the factory were unearthed at the city's Nahal Qomem archaeological site, which contains hundreds of underground pits once used for craft production, storage and other purposes. Pictures shared by the IAA show long flint blades that were recovered, as well as the large stone cores that were used to produce them. Cores are chunks of raw stone from which blades were struck. The artifacts will be put on display at the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein National Campus for the Archaeology of Israel in Jerusalem. "This is clear evidence that already at the onset of the Bronze Age, the local society here was organized and complex, and had professional specialization." The IAA ties the discovery to the "Canaanite blade industry," referring to an ancient people described in the Bible as inhabiting the region before the Israelites. Archaeologists say the tools align with the material culture of Canaan during the time of Abraham – and show how sophisticated the industry was. "Only exceptional individuals" knew how to craft Canaanite blades, according to the IAA. The discovery deepens the understanding of craftsmanship in Israel, as well as urbanization during the Bronze Age, the IAA added. "This is clear evidence that already at the onset of the Bronze Age, the local society here was organized and complex, and had professional specialization," the organization added. "The discovery of a sophisticated workshop indicates a society with a complex social and economic structure already at the beginning of the Early Bronze Age."
New York Post
21 hours ago
- New York Post
Florida man catches 87 invasive pythons in a month, awarded $1K through state incentive system
A Florida man with near-unmatched gumption for slaying snakes was awarded $1,000 through a new state incentive system for capturing a staggering 87 invasive pythons in just one month. Aaron Mann clinched the monthly prize as part of South Florida Water Management District's Python Elimination Program, which encourages skilled Sunshine State residents to capture and kill as many of its invasive Burmese pythons as possible. 3 Aaron Mann won $1,000 for capturing the most Burmese pythons in the state in July. SFWMD Advertisement Mann posed victoriously with one of his bounties alongside a hunting partner, draping the monstrous reptile over both their shoulders while reveling in their kill count — and impending reward. In early 2025, the program introduced a monetary award that will be doled out to the daredevils with the highest count each month. The Sunshine State already sponsors a series of other events aimed at tapering the python population bit by bit, including the annual Florida Python Challenge, which saw a slew of participants only wipe out 200 of the reptiles over the 10-day hunt last year — a mere fraction of Mann's bounty. Advertisement 3 Florida also offers other incentives, including by-the-foot compensation for pythons. The News-Press-USA TODAY NETWORK Last year's Challenge winner only removed 20 pythons, but brought home a $10,000 reward. Additionally, specialized python removal agents are paid $50 for each snake they secure, with an extra $25 thrown in for every foot on snakes stretching longer than the average 4 feet. In 2023, a 19-foot python was captured in Florida, which would be worth $425 under the new incentive programs. Advertisement The state also introduced a tracking program using cartoonish robot rabbits that would alert the SFWMD when it spots a python. From there, officials would dispatch someone to remove the snake — likely one of the removal agents who would additionally be compensated for their efforts. 3 The Burmese python is a non native, invasive species in Florida. South Florida Water Management District The Burmese pythons have roamed Florida's Everglades since the 1990s, despite being a non native species to the US. Their population has only grown, and officials have no idea what the exact count could be by now. Roughly 19,000 have been removed from the Everglades since 2000, according to Fox Weather Service.
