A Thai Buddhist monk inspects a fallen stupa of the Chedi Luang pagoda a day after a strong earthquake hit Myanmar.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- At least 111 people are injured
- The quake had a magnitude of 6.8, the U.S. Geological Survey reports
- Myanmar has been badly hit by natural disasters in the past few years.
(CNN) — The death toll from a powerful earthquake that hit Myanmar has gone up to 65, state media reported Friday.
At least 111 people were injured by the powerful quake, Myanmar Radio reported.
The 6.8-magnitude earthquake hit Myanmar on Thursday near its borders with China, Thailand and Laos, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
It was a relatively shallow quake, which can be very destructive.
The Geological Survey initially said the quake had a depth of 142 miles (230 kilometers), but it later revised its estimate to say the quake was 6 miles (10 km) deep, putting it fairly close to the surface.
Myanmar, which is also known as Burma, has been badly hit by natural disasters in the past few years.
A powerful cyclone in 2008 left an estimated 100,000 people dead, and another one two years later left 70,000 people homeless, the United Nations said.
The quake was significantly less powerful than the one that hit Japan two weeks ago, causing a tsunami and leaving thousands dead or missing. The quake also prompted fears of a nuclear meltdown.
It was roughly comparable in magnitude and depth to last year’s Haiti earthquake, which measured 7.0. More than 200,000 people died in the Haiti earthquake, and millions were affected.
CNN’s Kocha Olarn contributed to this report
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