As a powerful earthquake rocked central Myanmar on Friday, strong tremors were felt in Yangon, the country's largest city, where residents were startled and schools carried out emergency evacuations.
An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.7 struck 16 km NNW of Sagaing, central Myanmar at around 12:50 local time (06:20 GMT) on Friday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
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Powerful earthquake hits Myanmar, with strong tremors felt in Yangon
Powerful earthquake hits Myanmar, with strong tremors felt in Yangon
Powerful earthquake hits Myanmar, with strong tremors felt in Yangon
Powerful earthquake hits Myanmar, with strong tremors felt in Yangon
The epicenter, with a depth of 10.0 km, was initially determined to be at 22.01 degrees north latitude and 95.92 degrees east longitude.
Although Yangon lies far from the earthquake's epicenter, the city still experienced significant tremors that left a strong impact on the residents.
"When the earthquake was occurring, the whole classroom shook violently. The teachers quickly evacuated the students. The desks and chairs also swayed intensely, and everyone felt dizzy," recalled a local resident.
Another resident, a security guard, said he had never felt such strong tremors, and that his children were also terrified.
"I was on patrol as a security guard during the quake. It was the first time in my life I felt such intense tremors and shaking. I've never experienced anything like it before, and the strong tremors made me feel extremely dizzy. There was no damage at home, but my children were terrified and are still feeling disoriented," he said.
Later on Friday evening, business activities and traffic in Yangon gradually resumed, and many residents who had sought shelter outdoors began returning to their buildings.
At least 144 people have been killed and 732 others injured in the earthquake, according to the Information Team of Myanmar's State Administration Council.
The tremors were felt in China, Thailand, and Laos.
Powerful earthquake hits Myanmar, with strong tremors felt in Yangon
Powerful earthquake hits Myanmar, with strong tremors felt in Yangon
Powerful earthquake hits Myanmar, with strong tremors felt in Yangon
Powerful earthquake hits Myanmar, with strong tremors felt in Yangon
