Official media in Myanmar have reported that the death toll from the earthquake that struck the country on Friday has risen to more than 1,000, with 2,376 injured.
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Reuters quoted a statement from the U.S. Geological Survey indicating that thousands could potentially have been killed in Myanmar due to the earthquake.
The 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck northwestern Sagging city in central Myanmar on Friday afternoon at a shallow depth. Minutes later, a 6.4-magnitude aftershock hit the same region.
The destruction caused by the earthquake has led Myanmar’s ruling military council — which has lost large areas to armed groups — to issue a rare call for international humanitarian aid. Emergency declarations have been made in 6 regions of the country.
It is worth noting that Myanmar regularly experiences seismic activity, with 6 earthquakes of magnitude 7 or higher striking near the Sagging fault, which runs through the center of the country from north to south, between 1930 and 1956, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
In 2016, a 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck the former capital Bagan in central Myanmar, killing 3 people and causing the collapse of towers and walls of a temple at the tourist destination.
