2 September

An earthquake with a 6-magnitude shook Shwebo district, Sagaing region, on 31 August, damaging pagodas, monasteries and school buildings.

The quake was centered 14 miles northwest of Shwebo township at 9: 39 pm, and the damages occurred in Shwebo, KhinU and YeU townships.

Deputy Minister for Social Welfare, Relief, Resettlement U Soe Aung, together with Chief Minister of Sagaing region Dr Myint Naing, Sagaing Region Hluttaw Speaker U Than and the officials, visited the quake-affected areas, met with local authorities and discussed recovery works on 1 September.

The deputy minister and party inspected the damages caused by the quake at Chanthargyi Pagoda in Shwebo.

In the afternoon, the chief minister and party arrived in YeU township, and inspected the destructions at Sutaungpyae pagoda, Htantabin pagoda and Phaungdaw U pagoda. They also visited YeU hospital to comfort an injured woman from Pyindaung village in KhinU township.

They proceeded to KhinU township and inspected the damaged pagodas and a school.

The earthquake also resulted in devastations at Government Technological College and some religious edifices in Shwebo.

A wall of two-storey house in YeU township collapsed after the earthquake.

Head of the Regional Department of Disaster Management U Sao Willy Frank said that the list of damages will be compiled to render assistances.

He said “Data is being collected about the damages to be able to provide necessary assistance to the quake-affected areas.”

The latest data in KhinU Township has shown that 35 pagodas, 11 monasteries, 8 schools, 1 mosque, village administration office and 5 houses were wrought by the earthquake. The Department of Meteorology and Hydrology reported that the area suffered a series of aftershocks. — Local IPRD offices (Translated by Aung Khin)