More aftershocks expected

74 reported killed in Burma, with most victims farmers hit by debris falling from hills; North and Bangkok experience some 60 aftershocks following Thursday's earthquake

There were around 60 aftershocks following two major earthquakes in Burma that were felt in Bangkok and Northern Thailand last night, with six of them exceeding 5.0 on the Richter scale, the Seismological Bureau said yesterday.

Small aftershocks will continue for as long as a week, said Burin Wejbantheng, a senior bureau official.

The quakes happened because the Nam Ma fault in Laos jolted, causing tremors in a connecting fault in Burma, which was the epicentre of the 6.8 quake. Nam Ma fault is connected to Mae Chan fault in Chiang Mai.

In addition to the death of a Chiang Rai woman last night, a Burmese novice monk was pronounced dead at a Chiang Rai Hospital. Two more monks and two Thai villagers were injured when they were hit by falling building materials.

The latest aftershock, the strongest so far at 5.5, was felt at 7.22am, Burin said, adding that further shocks would be of 3.05.0 magnitude and not greater than 6.0.

There are unconfirmed reports of 74 deaths in Thachilek in Burma, over the border from Mae Sai district in Chiang Rai. The victims are believed to be farmers killed by debris falling from nearby hills.

There are 13 faultlines in Thailand covering 22 provinces, said Prof Thanawat Jarupongsakul, a Chulalongkorn University lecturer on geology. None have been affected by Thursday's quake, he said.

Of the 13, four are still active: those at Sri Sawat and Three Pagodas Pass in Kanchanaburi province; at Sakaing in the west; and the Khlong Marui fault covering Surat Thani, Krabi and Ranong.

Mae Fa Luang airport in Chiang Rai has reported minor damage to a building but said its runways and taxiways are in good shape. Airport director Yutthana Jitobaree told passengers not to worry about the damage reports.

Panic and evacuations were reported throughout areas in Chiang Mai and other northern provinces where the tremors were felt. In Nan, Phrae and Chiang Mai, foreign tourists and hotel guests left their rooms and waited in the open for several hours before returning to their rooms.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said existing quake safety regulations would be strictly enforced and future measures might need to be worked out, but issuing a law to impose those safety rules was not needed now.

In Narathiwat, tsunami and evacuation drills, including rescue efforts and emergency communications, will be conducted on April 1 in five coastal districts of Muang, Tak Bai, Sungai Kolok, Waeng and Sukhirin.

The Royal Irrigation Department said all four major irrigation dams in Chiang Rai and 95 smaller dams there and in nearby areas had not been affected by the quake.

The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) said three major hydropower dams, especially Sri Nakharin Dam in Kanchaburi, which is on a faultline, were in good shape. Realtime webcam surveillance of the dam is available on the Egat website at www.egat.co.th.