Central Myanmar shaken by new quake in one of biggest aftershocks since March 28 temblor
BANGKOK, April 13, (AP): A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck on Sunday morning near Meiktila, a small city in central Myanmar, according to the US Geological Survey. The quake came as Myanmar is engaged in relief efforts following a massive 7.7 magnitude temblor that also hit the country's central region on March 28. The epicenter of the latest quake was roughly hallway between Mandalay, Myanmar's second-biggest city, which suffered enormous damage and casualties in last month's earthquake, and Naypyitaw, the capital, where several government offices were then damaged.
There were no immediate reports of major damage or casualties caused by the new quake, one of the strongest of hundreds of aftershocks from the March 28 temblor. As of Friday, the death toll from that quake was 3,649, with 5,018 injured, according to Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun, a spokesperson for Myanmar's military government. Myanmar's Meteorological Department said Sunday's quake occurred in the area of Wundwin township, 97 kilometers (60 miles) south of Mandalay, at a depth of 20 kilometers (12 miles).
The US Geological Survey estimated the depth at 7.7 km (4.8 miles). Two Wundwin residents told The Associated Press by phone the quake was so strong that people rushed out of buildings and that ceilings in some dwellings were damaged. A resident of Naypyitaw also reached by phone said he did not feel the latest quake. Those contacted asked not to be named for fear of angering the military government, which prefers to closely control information.
The United Nations last week warned that damage caused by the March 28 quake will worsen the existing humanitarian crisis in Myanmar, where a civil war had already displaced more than 3 million people. It said the quake severely disrupted agricultural production and that a health emergency loomed because many medical facilities in the quake zone were damaged or destroyed. Sunday's quake occurred on the morning of the first day of the country's three-day Thingyan holiday, which celebrates the traditional New Year. Public festivities for the holiday had already been canceled.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab Times
2 hours ago
- Arab Times
Lawmakers expelled from Greece's parliament over ties to jailed far-right politician
ATHENS, Greece, June 11, (AP): Three far-right lawmakers in Greece were expelled Tuesday from parliament due to ties with a jailed politician convicted of leading a criminal organization. A court found that Vasilis Stigas, the leader of the far-right Spartans party, and two other party lawmakers had misled voters in the 2023 parliamentary election. The decision comes as concerns grow among traditionally dominant political parties over the rise of far-right parties across Europe and their willingness to disrespect democratic rules. The court determined the three had effectively served as proxies for a former member of Golden Dawn, a neo-Nazi inspired party, who was sentenced in 2020 to 13 years in prison for orchestrating violent attacks against migrants and political opponents. The decision, welcomed by Greece's conservative government, will reduce the number of seats in parliament from 300 to 297 for the remainder of the legislative term through 2027. It also lowers the threshold required to pass legislation from 151 votes to 149. The Spartans party, which won 4.7% of the popular vote in 2023, has denied any affiliation with Golden Dawn and did not immediately respond to the ruling. Two remaining Spartans lawmakers will continue to serve as independents.
Arab Times
2 hours ago
- Arab Times
Spain's economy minister says ‘overtourism' challenges need to be addressed
MADRID, June 11, (AP): Spain's economy minister says the millions of tourists who visit the country every year present a challenge for Spain's residents that the government can no longer afford to ignore. Last year, Spain received a record 94 million international visitors, making it one of the most visited countries in the world. It could receive as many as 100 million tourists this year, according to some projections. "It's important to understand that these record numbers in terms of tourism also pose challenges,' Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo said in an interview Tuesday with The Associated Press. "And we need to deal with those challenges also for our own population.' Tourism is a key sector for the Southern European nation's economy, which grew faster than any major advanced economy last year at 3.2%, and is projected to grow at 2.4% this year, according to the Bank of Spain, well ahead of the expected eurozone average of 0.9%. But a stubborn housing crisis in which home and rental costs have skyrocketed in cities such as Madrid, Barcelona and elsewhere has led to growing frustration about one aspect tied to tourism in particular: the proliferation of short-term rental apartments in city centers. The country has seen several large protests that have drawn tens of thousands of people to demand more government action on housing. Signs at demonstrations with slogans such as "Get Airbnb out of our neighborhoods' point to the growing anger. In response, the government recently announced it was cracking down on Airbnb listings that it said were operating in the country illegally, a decision that the company is appealing. "We are a 49 million-inhabitants country," Cuerpo said. The record numbers of tourists illustrate the "attractiveness of our country, but also of the challenge that we have in terms of dealing and providing for a good experience for tourists, but at the same time avoiding overcharging (for) our own services and our own housing,' he said. The Bank of Spain recently said the country has a deficit of 450,000 homes. Building more public housing is critical to solve the problem, Cuerpo said. Spain has a lower stock of public housing than many other major European Union countries. "This is the key challenge for this term,' the minister said of the country's housing woes.
Arab Times
2 hours ago
- Arab Times
Colombian authorities charge 15-year-old with attempted murder of presidential candidate
BOGOTA, Colombia, June 11, (AP): Colombian authorities on Tuesday charged a 15-year-old with attempted murder for the assasination attempt on Miguel Uribe, the conservative presidential candidate who was shot in the head this weekend and is now in critical condition. The Attorney General's office said the teenager shot at Uribe during a rally in Bogota's Modelia neighborhood and was captured fleeing the scene with a gun. The teenager, whose name has not been released, pleaded not guilty to the charges. He is currently recovering in a hospital from leg wounds. Colombia's Defense Minister said on Tuesday that authorities are still investigating who may have been behind the attack on Uribe, a 39-year-old senator and one of the nation's most visible opposition figures. Armed groups in Colombia frequently recruit minors for assassinations and other crimes, a practice driven by the lenient penalties they face under Colombian law. The teenager charged with attempted murder on Tuesday faces up to eight years in detention. A judge has ordered his detention at a juvenile center once he leaves hospital. The attack on Uribe has been widely condemned in Colombia, where many voters are concerned about the country's deteriorating security situation. Uribe, whose maternal grandfather was a Colombian president, is the son of Diana Turbay, a prominent news anchor who was assassinated in 1991 after being kidnapped by the powerful Medellin Cartel. Colombian opposition parties have asked for greater security guarantees in the wake of the attack, with some also urging President Gustavo Petro to moderate his rhetoric, as the nation prepares for presidential elections next year. While Petro condemned the attack on Uribe, he often refers to opposition leaders in his speeches and social media posts as "Nazis' "oligarchs' and "enemies of the people.' On Tuesday, Uribe's wife María Claudia Tarazona addressed journalists outside the hospital where the senator is being treated, calling for unity and calm. "I call on every sector, on all the political groups, on armed groups and on every corner of this country to heal,' she said, adding that Uribe "is a warrior who is fighting for his life.'
