Burma earthquake death toll reaches 26

The Red Cross says the death toll has risen to 26 from an earthquake that damaged homes and ancient Buddhist pagodas in northern Burma.

The Red Cross said in a statement Tuesday that another 231 people were hurt in Sunday's magnitude-6.8 quake in the underdeveloped mining region. Burma, which is also known as Myanmar, has a poor official disaster response system and lost upward of 140,000 people to a devastating cyclone in 2008.

The Red Cross says it provided aid to some families and is still assessing needs but that no external assistance will likely be needed.

Burama's second-biggest city of Mandalay is the nearest population centre to the quake but reported no casualties or major damage. It is 117 kilometres south of the epicenter near the town of Shwebo.

© The Associated Press, 2012



Source: http://www.news.myanmaronlinecentre.com/2012/11/13/burma-earthquake-death-toll-reaches-26/