An earthquake of magnitude 4.6 struck Myanmar on Monday, the National Center for Seismology (NCS) said. According to the NCS, the earthquake occurred at a shallow depth of 10 km, making it susceptible to aftershocks.
In a post on X, the NCS said, “EQ of M: 4.6, On: 13/10/2025 11:10:26 IST, Lat: 22.45 N, Long: 94.41 E, Depth: 10 Km, Location: Myanmar.”
Earlier, on October 10, another earthquake of magnitude 4.2 struck the region at a depth of 10 km.
In a post on X, the NCS said, “EQ of M: 4.2, On: 10/10/2025 05:53:57 IST, Lat: 18.49 N, Long: 93.80 E, Depth: 10 Km, Location: Myanmar.”
Shallow earthquakes are generally more dangerous than deep earthquakes because the seismic waves have a shorter distance to travel to the surface, resulting in stronger ground shaking, potentially more damage to structures, and greater casualties.
Myanmar is vulnerable to hazards from moderate and large magnitude earthquakes, including tsunami risks along its long coastline. The country is wedged between four tectonic plates (the Indian, Eurasian, Sunda, and Burma plates) that interact through active geological processes.
In the aftermath of the magnitude 7.7 and 6.4 earthquakes that struck central Myanmar on March 28, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned of rapidly rising health threats for tens of thousands of displaced people in earthquake-affected areas, including tuberculosis (TB), HIV, and vector- and water-borne diseases.
A 1,400-kilometre transform fault runs through Myanmar, connecting the Andaman spreading centre to a collision zone in the north called the Sagaing Fault.
The Sagaing Fault increases the seismic hazard for Sagaing, Mandalay, Bago, and Yangon, which together represent 46 per cent of Myanmar’s population. Although Yangon is relatively far from the fault trace, it still faces significant risk due to its dense population. For instance, in 1903, an intense earthquake with a magnitude of 7.0 in Bago also affected Yangon.