Latest news with #Manrique
Observer
28-03-2025
- Climate
- Observer
Aftershocks likely after Myanmar quake
Myanmar should prepare for possible aftershocks following the powerful earthquake that struck the country on Friday, a German geophysicist said. "We assume that aftershocks will occur. This is a typical process," said Oliver Heidbach from the GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences in the eastern German city of Potsdam. GFZ scientists said a series of aftershocks with magnitudes of between 6 and 6.5 is possible in the coming hours or days, with the quakes decreasing in number and strength over time. Alternatively, there could be a second strong earthquake, they said. Heidbach warned that seismic waves generated by strong aftershocks could hit buildings that have already been damaged, making rescue work more difficult and dangerous. The GFZ estimated the magnitude of Friday's initial earthquake at 7.6, with the epicentre at a depth of around 20 kilometres, according to its preliminary analysis. The epicentre of Friday's earthquake was near the city of Mandalay in Myanmar, but the quake was also felt in Thailand and other countries. A second earthquake hit the area minutes later, measured at a magnitude of 6.4 by the United States Geological Survey. The epicentre of the first earthquake was located on a fault that absorbs the movement of the Indian tectonic plate, which straddles the equator, Heidbach explained. He said the area is hit by strong earthquakes roughly every 100 years. Heidbach said it was too early to assess the consequences of the earthquake. The quake was also felt in Thailand's capital Bangkok as well as in parts of China and India. There were no initial reports of injuries or deaths from those countries. Meanwhile, Myanmar's ruling military general on Friday invited 'any country' to provide help and donations following a major earthquake that killed 144 people, warning there would be more deaths and casualties. Min Aung Hlaing on state television said he had opened routes for international assistance and had accepted offers of help from India and the Southeast Asian bloc Asean. The Red Cross in Myanmar has reported devastating damage following strong earthquakes. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has spoken to staff in the affected region, according to the IFRC programme manager on the ground, Marie Manrique. There is great concern that dams on the Irrawaddy River may have been damaged and could break. According to Manrique, 18.5 million people live in the affected area near the city of Sagaing, where two quakes — of an estimated magnitude of 7.7 and 6.4 — were recorded. According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), around 1.6 million of the 3.5 million displaced people in Myanmar live in the region hit by the earthquake. "We are very concerned about the possible humanitarian consequences," said Manrique. "We expect a lot of people to be injured." — Agencies
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Powerful quakes kill at least 144 in Myanmar, many still trapped
At least 144 people have been killed and more than 700 are injured in Myanmar after powerful earthquakes struck South-East Asia on Friday, the country's military leadership said on state television. Tremors from the quakes were also felt in several neighbouring countries, including Thailand, where images shared online showed workers fleeing as a high-rise building under construction collapsed. Thai officials reported three deaths and 68 injuries, while media reports said dozens of workers remained missing hours after the quakes. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported that a 7.7-magnitude earthquake hit at around 12:50 pm (0620 GMT). Readings from other services have varied. USGS said the epicentre was about 16 kilometres from the city of Sagaing in north-western Myanmar. A few minutes later, the USGS registered another earthquake a little to the south with a magnitude of 6.4. Myanmar junta declares state of emergency In Myanmar, media reports citing rescue workers and witnesses said that buildings have collapsed, trapping people beneath the rubble. A rescue worker told dpa that hospitals in Mandalay, a city near the epicentre, were overwhelmed by the number of injured. He reported scenes of chaos and that there were too few volunteers to help free the number of people trapped beneath the debris. Getting information from the situation in Myanmar has been difficult as the country has been in political turmoil since a military junta seized power in a 2021 coup. Millions of people have been displaced by the ongoing fighting. Military junta leader Min Aung Hlaing announced on television that he had requested assistance from the international community and various organizations. He added that India and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have been authorized to support volunteer efforts in the affected regions. The military junta has also declared a state of emergency in several parts of Myanmar. A spokesman for the junta said hospitals are in urgent need of blood supplies. Red Cross reports devastating damage The Red Cross in Myanmar has reported devastating damage and has spoken to staff in the affected region, according to Marie Manrique, the organization's programme manager on the ground. There is great concern that dams on the Irrawaddy River may have been damaged and could break. Manrique said that 18.5 million people live in the affected area near the city of Sagaing. According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), around 1.6 million of the 3.5 million people displaced in Myanmar live in the region hit by the earthquake. "We are very concerned about the possible humanitarian consequences," said Manrique. "We expect a lot of people to be injured." Tremors felt in Thailand and neighbouring regions The quake also rattled Thailand's capital Bangkok, where the earth shook for several minutes and people left their homes in panic, according to a dpa reporter. Sirens could be heard hours after the quake struck. In the Silom district in the centre of the capital, thousands of people were on the streets, many running. Volunteers were immediately deployed, instructing people to get out into the open and leave the buildings. Patients were brought out of the hospitals onto the streets. The shell of a high-rise building in Bangkok collapsed, as shown in videos circulating online. Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra convened an emergency meeting during her visit to Phuket Island. Earthquake felt in Vietnam, India, China, Bangladesh The tremors were also felt in Vietnam's capital Hanoi, as well as in parts of India, China and Bangladesh. In China, tremors were reported in Yunnan province, where damage and injuries were confirmed. In India's Manipur state and Bangladesh's capital Dhaka, the quake caused panic, but no damage was initially reported. India has offered to help earthquake victims in Myanmar and Thailand. "India stands ready to offer all possible assistance," Modi wrote on X. He said he has asked "our authorities to be on standby." Asia is regularly affected by earthquakes, which sometimes kill thousands of people and cause devastating destruction. An earthquake off the eastern coast of Japan in March 2011 claimed almost 16,000 lives and caused the accident at the Fukushima nuclear plant. More recently, Afghanistan, Indonesia and Nepal have experienced disasters with thousands of deaths. EU offers satellite help Commenting on X, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the scenes from Myanmar and Thailand are "heartbreaking." The European Union's Copernicus satellites "are already helping first responders," she wrote and added that the EU is "ready to provide more support." Copernicus is the EU's space observation programme. It has an open source policy in line with international data sharing principles, its website states, and can provide detailed maps of affected areas.
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Red Cross Aids Victims After Deadly Myanmar Earthquake
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said it had deployed teams to Myanmar to assist following a 7.7-magnitude earthquake on Friday, March 28, 'despite major access challenges due to collapsed infrastructure and downed communications.' Marie Manrique, the ICRC's program coordinator in Myanmar, said the quake struck around midday and was followed minutes later by a 6.4-magnitude aftershock. The Myanmar Red Cross Society (MRCS) was helping with search-and-rescue efforts, first aid, and transportation to nearby hospitals, Manrique said. Major damage was reported in Mandalay, Sagaing, Naypyitaw, Bago, and southern Shan, in areas already affected by the country's ongoing civil war, she added. These images show volunteers providing medical aid to people in Myitnge, a town just south of Mandalay, and transporting victims to Mandalay Public Hospital, MRCS said. At least 144 people had been killed and 730 others injured by the earthquake in Myanmar, according to BBC Burmese, citing the head of the ruling military junta. In neighboring Thailand, at least 10 people were killed and more than 100 were missing, according to Thai news reports. Credit: Myanmar Red Cross via Storyful
Reuters
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Myanmar quake damaged buildings and infrastructure, causes concern over dams, Red Cross says
GENEVA, March 28 (Reuters) - The powerful earthquake that hit Myanmar on Friday damaged buildings and public infrastructure and there are concerns for the state of large dams, the Red Cross said on Friday. Six states and regions are most impacted - particularly in the northwest of the country, the Red Cross said. The Reuters Tariff Watch newsletter is your daily guide to the latest global trade and tariff news. Sign up here. "Public infrastructure has been damaged, including roads, bridges and public buildings," Marie Manrique, Program Coordinator for the International Federation of the Red Cross said to reporters in Geneva, via video link from Yangon. "We currently have concerns for large-scale dams that people are watching to see the conditions of them," she said. "The bridge that connects Mandalay to Sagaing has collapsed - this will cause logistical issues. Sagaing has the largest number of internally displaced people in the country," Manrique added. Myanmar has been in turmoil since early 2021, when the military ousted an elected civilian government led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. A protest movement morphed into an armed rebellion against the junta across the country and the widening conflict has displaced over 3.5 million people.
