The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) released satellite images of the widespread damage caused by last week’s earthquake of magnitude 7.7 that struck Myanmar. It was followed by strong aftershocks, including one of magnitude 6.4. The epicentre was located near Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city, which saw severe damage.
With its most advanced Earth imaging satellite, Cartosat-3, which can capture images with a resolution of less than 50 centimetres, ISRO has successfully obtained high-resolution photos from an altitude of 500 kilometres. These images reveal the collapse of a massive bridge over the Irrawaddy River, extensive damage to Mandalay University, and the destruction of the Ananda Pagoda.
Cartosat-3, which was launched in 2019, is a third-generation agile advanced earth imaging satellite. ISRO rarely releases images from this highly sophisticated satellite.
The National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), a division of ISRO, reported that post-disaster imagery from Cartosat-3 was acquired on Saturday over Myanmar’s Mandalay and Sagaing cities.
For damage assessment, NRSC also analysed Cartosat-3 data from March 18, taken before the earthquake. The comparison revealed significant infrastructure damage in Mandalay city.
Damages Caused In The Country
The damage caused to Mandalay city and the Ava bridge, are seen in the satellite images.
The earthquake also shook Myanmar’s capital, Naypyidaw, along with other regions, causing the collapse of infrastructure, roads, and residential buildings. The tremors were felt beyond Myanmar, reaching neighbouring countries and as far as Chiang Mai and northern Thailand, where some areas reported damage.
The images show damage to infrastructure in Mandalay city, with major landmarks such as Sky Villa, Phayani Pagoda, Mahamuni Pagoda and Ananda Pagoda, University of Mandalay and several others suffering either complete or partial damage.
In Sagaing city, the Ma Shi Khana Pagoda and several monasteries and other buildings were damaged.
The images reveal that the earthquake caused the collapse of the historic Ava (InnWa) Bridge over the Irrawaddy River near Inn Wa City. Additionally, cracks in the floodplains of the Irrawaddy River, accompanied by signs of liquefaction, were observed.
Myanmar Plates
Myanmar lies near the convergent boundary of the Indian and Eurasian plates, with the Indian Plate moving northward at approximately 5 cm per year. Additionally, the country is positioned near multiple smaller fault zones, including the Sagaing Fault, a major active strike-slip fault in central Myanmar.
The Sagaing Fault is a major active strike-slip fault that facilitates lateral movement between the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates.
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