Myanmar Earthquake: 1,644 People Dead, 3,408 Injured; India Launches 'Operation Bramha'; USGS Estimates 10,000 Deaths | Top Points

The powerful earthquake of 7.7 magnitude on the Richter Scale rocked Myanmar and neighboring Thailand on Friday, killing over 1,600 people while at least 3,408 others sustained injuries, according to Myanmar military. An earthquake of 5.1 magnitude hit Myanmar capital Nyapyidaw on March 29 in the afternoon.

Reports have suggested that nearly 140 people are missing. The massive quake also led to the destruction of buildings, bridges, and a monastery.

According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), the quake struck at midday, with an epicenter near Myanmar라이브 바카라 second-largest city, Mandalay.  Seven aftershocks followed, as per the National Centre for Seismology (NCS), ranging in magnitude from 3.5 to 7.

The US Geological Survey has estimated the death toll in Myanmar could surpass 10,000.

India Launches 'Operation Bramha'

Indian launched 'Operation Brahma' in the early hours of Saturday to offer humanitarian aid and assistance to quake-hit Myanmar.

Intensifying its efforts for aiding relief and rescue work in earthquake-hit Myanmar under 'Operation Brahma', India on Saturday despatched two naval ships to the neighbouring country while an 118-member army field hospital is being deployed to provide immediate medical medical assistance to the injured.

Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal in a briefing here also said that two more Indian naval ships would follow under this humanitarian assistance operation.

The first ship carrying 10 tonnes of relief material left in the early hours, while the second one on Saturday afternoon, and they are expected to reach off Yangon on March 31, a senior officer of the Indian Navy said.

The other two ships which will follow them, are stationed at Sri Vijaya Puram under the Andaman and Nicobar Command, he said.

What Did NCS Say?

Commenting on the cause behind the large-scale natural disaster that led to extensive damage, India's earthquake monitoring agency, the National Centre for Seismology (NCS), has said the earthquake caused severe damage because its shaking matched the natural vibration of buildings.

Moreover, soil liquefaction was also a major cause of the damage, said O P Mishra, head of the NCS. This is defined as a phenomenon when the ground starts acting like a liquid instead of solid land during a strong earthquake.

Citing NCS, PTI reported that soil liquefaction happens at places with loose, wet soil like sandy areas near rivers or the coast. When the earthquake shakes the ground, the water between the soil particles pushes them apart, making the soil lose its strength. As a result, buildings, roads and other structures may sink, tilt or collapse, Mishra explained.

NCS also said that besides soil liquefaction, the earthquake was also caused by the Sagaing Fault, a major fault line located 1,200 km east of the Indo-Burma subduction zone. The energy from the earthquake spread towards Bangkok.

"The rupture direction is towards Bangkok, causing severe damage to structures in the region due to liquefactions and the matching of the earthquake-shaking frequency with the spectral frequency of the structures," it said.

Myanmar-Thailand Earthquakes | Top Points

• The death toll in Myanmar has risen to 1,644, the country's military leadership says, while the number of injured has gone up to 3,408, with 139 missing.

• The US Geological Survey has estimated the death toll in Myanmar could surpass 10,000.

• Under 'Operation Brahma', India on Saturday despatched two naval ships to the earthquake-hit neighbouring country while an 118-member army field hospital is being deployed to provide immediate medical medical assistance to the injured.

• Meanwhile, China sent a 37-member rescue and medical team equipped with 112 sets of full-featured life detectors, earthquake early warning systems, portable satellites, drones, and other emergency relief materials, CCTV added.

• Myanmar also received help from Russia, USA, South Korea, Malaysia, and Singapore.

• The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) says an eleventh person has died in the Thai capital as a result of Friday's earthquake in Myanmar.

• Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra the country “has returned to normalcy” after a deadly quake rattled the capital.

• “The death toll and injuries are expected to rise,” the head of Myanmar라이브 바카라 military government, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing said as he announced on television that at least 144 people were killed and 730 others were injured in his country.

• In Thailand, Bangkok city authorities said 10 people were killed, 16 injured and 101 missing from three construction sites, including the high-rise.

• In Mandalay, the earthquake reportedly brought down multiple buildings, including one of the city라이브 바카라 largest monasteries. Photos from the capital city of Naypyidaw showed rescue crews pulling victims from the rubble of multiple buildings used to house civil servants.

• The U.S. Geological Survey, a government science agency, estimated that the death toll could top 1,000.

• In Thailand, a 33-story building under construction crumpled into a cloud of dust near Bangkok라이브 바카라 popular Chatuchak market, and onlookers could be seen screaming and running in a video posted on social media. Vehicles on a nearby freeway came to a stop.

• Thailand's Police chief orders nationwide assistance after a Myanmar quake shakes Thailand, causing a building collapse in Bangkok.

• Thailand's capital has been declared a disaster area following a strong earthquake in neighboring Myanmar, Bangkok city hall said on Friday.

• Thailand has ordered schools to close nationwide to assess the damage.

• Pope Francis offered prayers to the victims of a powerful earthquake in Southeast Asia on Friday, the Vatican said.

• To the northeast, the earthquake was felt in China라이브 바카라 Yunnan and Sichuan provinces and caused damage and injuries in the city of Ruili on the border with Myanmar, according to Chinese media reports.