FIVE THINGS ABOUT MYANMAR QUAKE

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DEATH TOLL A powerful earthquake shook Myanmar on Wednesday, killing at least three people. The U.S. Geological Survey said the magnitude-6.8 quake was centred about 25 kilometres west of Chauk, a town south of Bagan. It was located fairly far below the Earth’s surface at a depth of about 84 kilometres.

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PAGODAS DAMAGED At least 94 brick pagodas in Bagan were damaged, the Ministry of Religious and Cultural Affairs said in a statement. Bagan, also known as Pagan, has more than 2,200 structures including pagodas and temples constructed from the 10th to the 14th centuries. Many are in disrepair while others have been restored in recent years, aided by the UN cultural agency UNESCO. The vast site is the country’s premier attraction for tourists, who can view a panorama of temples stretching to the horizon flanked by the mighty Irrawaddy River, an especially impressive experience at sunset.

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STRONG QUAKE Vincent Panzani, a staff member in Pakokku for the aid agency Save the Children, said several of his colleagues from the area described the earthquake as the strongest they have experienced. “We felt quite heavy shaking for about 10 seconds and started to evacuate the building when there was another strong tremor,” he said.

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PANICKED CITIZENS Worried residents of Yangon, the country’s main city, rushed out of tall buildings, and objects toppled from tables and from Buddhist shrines in homes. However, there were no reports of serious damage in the city.

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UN RESPONDS United Nations spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was “saddened” by the loss of life and damage from the earthquake and expressed his condolences to the “people and government” of Myanmar.