TEMPO.CO, Bangkok - An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.3 on the Richter scale rocked the northern province of Chiang Rai at 6.08pm Monday, according to the Seismological Bureau of the Meteorological Department and the National Disaster Warning Center.
There were no immediate reports of casualties. The quake was detected at the depth of 7.4 kilometers underground in Mae Lao district. People sensed the shake in northern provinces, such as Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai and Lampang.
According to Bangkok Post, the tremor inflicted damages on buildings, with highways cracked and split. A large Buddha in Phan district, Chiang Rai, was also damaged by the quake. The ceilings at the Chiang Rai Airport collapsed due to the tremor, throwing waiting passengers into panic.
Residents in the northern part of Thailand also felt the quake. A woman told Bangkok Post through a telephone that they heard the power was out in Mae Rin (Chiang Mai) district, and hospitals were in blackouts.
The quake also hit Myanmar’s capital of Yangon, with people running out from their offices in panic. The last earthquake shaking Thailand with a magnitude of 5.1 on the Richter Scale occurred on December 13, 2006 in Chiang Mai province.
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