YANGON: An earthquake monitoring body has called on authorities in Yangon to intensify building inspections, following a series of unusual aftershocks triggered by an earthquake that struck Myanmar’s largest city last month.
The Myanmar Earthquake Committee proposed a pilot project with the Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC), aimed at assessing the structural integrity of buildings and strengthening the city’s disaster preparedness.
On May 18, Yangon was hit by a 5.2-magnitude quake, followed by several aftershocks within a day – an event experts described as unusual for the city.
“The plan is to conduct a comprehensive visual screening of a single street or ward and present our findings,” noted Saw Htwe Zaw, vice-chairman of the committee.
“Once we demonstrate the practical value of this pilot study to senior officials, the project can be scaled up systematically across townships and districts.”
According to Saw Htwe Zaw, many of Yangon’s high-rise buildings have generally been constructed in accordance with safety standards, with quality-control measures incorporated from the early stages of development.
But significant gaps remain, particularly among older and smaller buildings, he said.
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