Buildings around Yangon will be tested for their earthquake resistance over the next year and a half, announced the Myanmar Earthquake Committee (MEC).
The tests will be conducted on 50 buildings in 37 townships in Yangon Region. The Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC) and UN-Habitat will also assist in carrying out the tests.
“We will hold a workshop to discuss the test at the YCDC on December 13. We have decided to test the earthquake resistance of 50 buildings in 37 townships. There could be a change in the number of buildings. Schools, fire departments, police stations and hospitals will be prioritized. Residential buildings will be included, too. The preparation period can take three to four months,” MEC secretary Saw Htwe Zaw told Eleven.
Five major fault lines run through Myanmar – the Kabaw fault near the Indian border, the Kyaukkyan fault in northern Shan State, the Thanlwin fault beneath the Thanlwin River, the Rakhine fault in Rakhine State and the 1,000-kilometer Sagaing fault, which stretches from the northern corner of Myanmar to the Martaban Gulf. Yangon is located near the Sagaing fault line, which was last active in 2011.
A magnitude-7.3 earthquake that struck Pyu in 1930 killed 50 people in Yangon and 500 in Bago. Yangon’s dense population makes it even more vulnerable to damage by earthquakes today.
The Kyaukkyan fault triggered a 7.7-magnitude quake in 1912 – the strongest one on record in Myanmar. There are no records of casualties.
A 6.8-magnitude quake struck 25 kilometers west of Chauk, Magwe Region, on August 24 and damaged hundreds of ancient structures in Bagan.
