BMKG Explains Myanmar 'Doublet' Earthquake That Kills Several, Damages Buildings

3 days ago 15

March 28, 2025 | 05:18 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency or BMKG disclosed that the earthquake that struck Mandalay, Myanmar, today, Friday, March 28, 2025, was a doublet quake. The two ground earthquakes caused damage mainly in Myanmar and Thailand.

"A preliminary report stated that several multi-story buildings collapsed. The earthquake is estimated to have a maximum intensity scale of VIII-IX MMI (severe damage)," said Daryono, the Director of BMKG's Earthquake and Tsunami Center, after the earthquake.

Daryono explained that a doublet earthquake occurs when two seismic events with similar magnitude strike within a relatively close time and location of the epicenter.

Furthermore, the temblor in Myanmar caused damage to the Thailand region due to the long-period vibration effects. This could have a serious impact in areas with soft ground and thick layers, such as Thai capital Bangkok.

Rescue workers evacuate a collapsed building site after an earthquake in Bangkok, Thailand, on March 28, 2025. An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.7 shook Myanmar on March 28, 2025, impacting Bangkok, Thailand. Reuters/Ann Wang

"Like the case of the M8.3 Michoacan Earthquake in Mexico in 1985, which destroyed the city of Michoacan, nearly 400 kilometers away from the epicenter of the earthquake," he said.

Reuters reported that at least three people were killed in Taungoo in Myanmar, when a mosque partially collapsed, while in aung Ban, the earthquake took two lives and injured 20 after a hotel collapsed.

In Thailand, at least one person was killed and dozens of workers were rescued from under the rubble that had been under construction in Bangkok, said the National Institute of Emergency Medicine.

Here is the initial information Daryono summarized about the doublet earthquakes in Mandalay: their strength, epicenter, and triggers:

Earthquake 1

Time: 13:20:56 WIB
Magnitude: 7.6 (7.7 according to USGS)
Epicenter depth: 10 kilometers

Earthquake 2

Time: 13:31:59 WIB
Magnitude: 6.4
Epicenter depth: 10 kilometers

Time and Distance between the Earthquakes

Time difference: 11 minutes 3 seconds
Distance difference: around 60 kilometers

Earthquake Type and Triggers:

Shallow crustal earthquakes triggered by the activity of the Sagaing Fault.

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