Northern Myanmar shaken by quake

Northern Myanmar shaken by quake

YANGON (AP): A strong earthquake struck northern Myanmar early
on Thursday, but no major damage or casualties were reported in
the main town nearest the epicenter.

The quake, which occurred at 4:17 a.m. (4:47 a.m. Jakarta
time), was centered 150 kilometers north of Myitkyina, a remote
town near the northern tip of Myanmar, a Southeast Asian country
also known as Burma.

An official from Myanmar's meteorology department in Yangon
said the quake had a magnitude of 6.6. The Northern
Meteorological Center in Chiang Mai, Thailand -- 884 kilometers
southeast of the epicenter -- measured it at 6.35.

Quakes of that strength can cause severe damage if they hit
heavily-populated areas.

There was a second trembler of 5.6 magnitude in the same area
about two hours after the first, Myanmar's meteorology department
said.