Strong dangerous earthquake along the Myanmar China (Yunnan) border - 15 people injured and a lot of damage

May 23, 2014 by

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Update May 27 3:06 UTC : The earthquake has caused major damage out of the 313000 affected residents, 10264 have been evacuated/relocated.
- 4400 people are living in tents, 2240 people are living in makeshift shelters and 3624 are staying with friends and family.
- 367 million CNY damage has so far been registered (ca. 60 million USD).
- 15 people injured
- 36 schools damaged with 24700 students affected.
- Silicon supply to the region may be affected meaning that there could be production losses associated with this earthquake.
- Over $1.7 million aid has been distributed so far.

Update May 25 16:13 UTC : The earthquake, which happened at 4:49 am in Yingjiang County on May 24, had affected 313,000 residents in 15 towns and toppled and damaged 9,688 houses as of 7:40 pm. on May 24. About 3,000 rescuers are working in the county to remove potential risks, set up tents and resume the power supply (source : ChinaDaily)

Screen Shot 2014-05-25 at 18.07.11
Screen Shot 2014-05-25 at 18.38.17

Update May 24 17:22 UTC : At least 8 people have been injured by this earthquake. No-one was killed but the damage runs into the millions of dollars. A lot of relief goods are being and have been transported to the earthquake area.

Image courtesy andcopyright Chinanews.com

Image courtesy andcopyright Chinanews.com

Update 21:40 UTC : The village of Najang, see below is at high risk for damage. This village is located almost above the epicenter. The Mapcarta image shows clearly that there are many houses in this epicenter area. We accentuate also the risk on landslides in this area. The Chinese response teams will be send asap to the Chinese side of the border to assess the situation. Other earthquakes in the greater epicenter area were very damaging.

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Update 21:23 UTC : USGS reports a preliminary Magnitude of M5.6 at a depth of 25 km. CEIC (China) reports the same Magnitude but much shallower at 12 km. Based on these data, ER calls this earthquake very dangerous.
The Chinese seismological agency is locating the epicenter at the Myanmar side of the border.

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Preliminary Focal Mechanism courtesy Jascha Polet

Preliminary Focal Mechanism courtesy Jascha Polet

"Understanding Beach Balls" article

City: Yingjiang (from the epicenter approximately 35.1 km)
City: Lianghe (from the epicenter approximately 54.3 km)
City: Tengchong County (the epicenter approximately 69.7 km)
City: Longchuan County (the epicenter approximately 90.6 km)

Most important Earthquake Data:

Magnitude : 5.8

Local Time (conversion only below land) : 2014-05-24 04:49:25

GMT/UTC Time : 2014-05-23 20:49:25

Depth (Hypocenter) : 10 km

Depth and Magnitude updates in the list below.

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Click on the "I Felt It" button behind the corresponding earthquake. Your earthquake experience is not only important for science, but also for people in the area as well as our global readership.

Refresh this list
SRC Location UTC Date/time M D INFO
GEOFON Myanmar-china Border Region May 23 21:55 4.2 10 MAP I Felt It INFO
USGS Myanmar-china Border Region May 23 20:49 5.8 10 MAP
  • Downtown Area Hotel - 5;20 am awakened with rolling and swaying lasting 10-20 seconds. no aftershock felt.
  • Myiktyina - About 3am local time strong shake ( pretty much all town woke up with the shake). Some buildings reported light damage (crack in the walls).
  • Dali Yunnan - Woke up with the bed shaking. The hanging lamps were swaying.
    		•
    EMSC Myanmar-china Border Region May 23 20:49 5.8 10 MAP I Felt It INFO
    GEOFON Myanmar-china Border Region May 23 20:49 5.7 10 MAP

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    Country where you felt the earthquake *
    City/Village where you felt the earthquake *
    Street or suburb (area) where you felt the earthquake
    Latitude (area) where you felt the earthquake
    Longitude (area) where you felt the earthquake
    Shaking Strength *
    MMI II (Very weak shaking) ?
    People :
    Felt by persons at rest, on upper floors or favorably placed.
    MMI III (Weak shaking) ?
    People :
    Felt indoors; hanging objects may swing, vibration similar to passing of light trucks, duration may be estimated, may not be recognized as an earthquake.
    MMI IV (Light shaking) ?
    People :
    Generally noticed indoors but not outside. Light sleepers may be awakened. Vibration may be likened to the passing of heavy traffic, or to the jolt of a heavy object falling or striking the building.
    Fittings :
    Doors and windows rattle. Glassware and crockery rattle. Liquids in open vessels may be slightly disturbed. Standing motorcars may rock.
    Structures :
    Walls and frames of buildings, and partitions and suspended ceilings in commercial buildings, may be heard to creak.
    MMI V (Moderate shaking) ?
    People :
    Generally felt outside, and by almost everyone indoors. Most sleepers awakened. A few people alarmed.
    Fittings :
    Small unstable objects are displaced or upset. Some glassware and crockery may be broken. Hanging pictures knock against the wall. Open doors may swing. Cupboard doors secured by magnetic catches may open. Pendulum clocks stop, start, or change rate.
    Structures :
    Some large display windows cracked. A few earthenware toilet fixtures cracked.
    MMI VI (Strong shaking) ?
    People Felt by all. People and animals alarmed. Many run outside. Difficulty experienced in walking steadily.
    Fittings :
    Objects fall from shelves. Pictures fall from walls. Some furniture moved on smooth floors, some unsecured free-standing fireplaces moved. Glassware and crockery broken. Very unstable furniture overturned. Small church and school bells ring. Appliances move on bench or table tops. Filing cabinets or "easy glide" drawers may open (or shut).
    Structures :
    Slight damage to buildings with low standard. Some stucco or cement plaster falls. Large display windows broken. Damage to a few weak domestic chimneys, some may fall.
    Environment :
    Trees and bushes shake, or are heard to rustle. Loose material may be dislodged from sloping ground, e.g. existing slides, talus slopes, shingle slides.
    MMI VII (Very strong shaking) ?
    People
    General alarm. Difficulty experienced in standing. Noticed by motorcar drivers who may stop.
    Fittings :
    Large bells ring. Furniture moves on smooth floors, may move on carpeted floors. Substantial damage to fragile contents of buildings.
    Structures :
    Unreinforced stone and brick walls cracked. Low standard buildings cracked with some minor masonry falls. A few instances of damage to buildings of ordinary workmanship. Unbraced parapets, unbraced brick gables, and architectural ornaments fall. Roofing tiles, especially ridge tiles may be dislodged. Many unreinforced domestic chimneys damaged, often falling from roof-line. Water tanks Type I burst. A few instances of damage to brick veneers and plaster or cement-based linings. Unrestrained water cylinders (hot-water cylinders) may move and leak. Some common windows cracked. Suspended ceilings damaged.
    Environment :
    Water made turbid by stirred up mud. Small slides such as falls of sand and gravel banks, and small rock-falls from steep slopes and cuttings. Instances of settlement of unconsolidated or wet, or weak soils. Some fine cracks appear in sloping ground. A few instances of liquefaction (i.e. small water and sand ejections).
    MMI VIII (Severe shaking) ?
    People Alarm may approach panic. Steering of motorcars greatly affected. Structures : Low standard buildings heavily damaged, some collapse. ordinary workmanship buildings damaged, some with partial collapse. Reinforced masonry or concrete buildings damaged in some cases. A few instances of damage to buildings and bridges designed and built to resist earthquakes. Monuments and pre-1976 elevated tanks and factory stacks twisted or brought down. Some pre-1965 infill masonry panels damaged. A few post-1980 brick veneers damaged. Decayed timber piles of houses damaged. Houses not secured to foundations may move. Most unreinforced domestic chimneys damaged, some below roof-line, many brought down. Environment : Cracks appear on steep slopes and in wet ground. Small to moderate slides in roadside cuttings and unsupported excavations. Small water and sand ejections and localized lateral spreading adjacent to streams, canals, lakes, etc.
    MMI IX (Violent shaking) ?
    Structures Many low standard buildings destroyed. Ordinary workmanship buildings heavily damaged, some collapse. Reinforced masonry or concrete buildings damaged, some with partial collapse. Buildings and bridges designed and built to resist earthquakes damaged in some cases, some with flexible frames seriously damaged. Damage or permanent distortion to some buildings and bridges, designed and built to normal use standards. Houses not secured to foundations shifted off. Brick veneers fall and expose frames. Environment : Cracking of ground conspicuous. Landsliding general on steep slopes. Liquefaction effects intensified and more widespread, with large lateral spreading and flow sliding adjacent to streams, canals, lakes, etc.
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