By Mon Lay / MPA
Mandalay, Myanmar — Residents in Myanmar’s cultural capital, Mandalay, were forced to flee their homes on Thursday night after a shallow earthquake struck the region, accompanied by a terrifying “ground roar” that reignited trauma from last year’s deadly disaster.
The magnitude 4.5 tremor hit at approximately 21:33 local time (15:03 GMT), with its epicenter located near Patheingyi Township, just outside the city limits. While the magnitude was moderate, the quake’s shallow depth—recorded at just six miles (10 km) beneath the surface—significantly amplified the shaking, causing widespread panic.
Witnesses described a distinct and frightening acoustic phenomenon preceding the tremors.
“First came a slight sway, then a loud booming sound exploded from underground,” said a resident of Chanayethazan Township. “Immediately after the noise, the second wave hit with a violent jolt.”
Seismologists suggest the “double shock” sensation reported by many was likely the arrival of Primary waves (P-waves) followed rapidly by the slower, more destructive Secondary waves (S-waves), a common characteristic of shallow earthquakes. The “roar” heard by residents is caused by high-frequency vibrations from the shifting crust reaching the surface before the shaking begins.
Thursday’s tremors were felt as far away as Pyin Oo Lwin and Sagaing, but the psychological impact was most acute in Mandalay.
For many, the shaking brought back immediate, harrowing flashbacks of March 28, 2025. That day, a massive magnitude 7.7 earthquake devastated the region, claiming thousands of lives and leaving widespread destruction across Mandalay, Sagaing, and Bago.
“I ran down from my apartment immediately,” another Mandalay resident told local media. “The trauma from last year’s quake just resurfaced. The first shock had a loud sound and shook violently… it kept moving minutes later.”
Mandalay sits precariously on the Sagaing Fault, a major continental transform fault that runs through the center of Myanmar. It remains one of the most seismically active zones in Southeast Asia.
While Thursday’s quake caused furniture to topple and sent residents scrambling for safety, there were no immediate reports of major structural collapse. However, with aftershocks from the 2025 disaster still occasionally felt, the psychological toll on the population remains severe.
