A powerful earthquake that toppled homes in northeastern Myanmar has killed more than 70 people, and there were fears the toll would mount as conditions in more remote areas became known. The Thursday night quake, measured at magnitude 6.8 by the US Geological Survey, was centered just north of Tachileik town in Shan State near the Thai border. It was felt hundreds of miles (kilometers) away in the Thai capital, Bangkok, and Vietnamese capital, Hanoi.


Beyond repair: Residents sift through the rubble of a destroyed house
a day after the earthquake struck the area. Pic/AFP

Myanmar state radio announced yesterday that 74 people had been killed and 111 injured in the quake, but was updating the total frequently. It said 390 houses, 14 Buddhist monasteries and nine government buildings were damaged. In Mae Sai, one woman was killed when a wall fell on her, according to Thai police, but damage was otherwise minimal.