Myanmar Shaken Again: 5.5 Quake Follows Recent 7.7 Catastrophe

A 5.5 earthquake hit central Myanmar on Sunday morning off Meiktila, a small town in the Mandalay area, the US geological survey (USGS) reported.

The quake is among the strongest aftershocks since the massive 7.7-magnitude earthquake hit the region on March 28.

The epicenter of Sunday's earthquake was halfway between Mandalay—Myanmar's second largest city, also severely affected by the previous disaster—and the capital Naypyitaw, whose government buildings too were damaged last month.

Wundwin township, some 97 kilometers (60 miles) south of Mandalay, reported the quake happening at a depth of 20 kilometers (12 miles) said Myanmar's meteorological department.

But the USGS estimated its depth at merely 7.7 kilometers (4.8 miles).

There were no initial reports of major damage or casualties from the most recent quake. Locals in Wundwin informed the Associated Press that the shaking made people run out of buildings, and some ceilings collapsed. A resident in Naypyitaw reported that the quake did not affect the city. All the people spoke anonymously because they feared retaliation from the military government, which tightly restricts the flow of information.

At least 3,649 people had been killed and over 5,000 hurt as of Friday by the March 28 earthquake, said, spokesman for Myanmar's ruling military junta. Hundreds of aftershocks have struck since.

The United Nations warned that the March earthquake has compounded an already catastrophic humanitarian crisis in Myanmar, where more than 3 million have been displaced by continued civil war. The earthquake has greatly damaged agriculture in the affected region, and health services have been pushed to the limit by extensive damage to hospitals.

Sunday's earthquake occurred as Thingyan, Myanmar's three-day New Year celebration, began. Public festivities had already been called off in the wake of last month's destruction.

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