The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has shared satellite images showing the large-scale destruction caused by the 7.7-magnitude earthquake that hit Myanmar on Friday. The earthquake was powerful enough to shake nearby countries as well.

Satellite captures destruction from space

ISRO used its most powerful Earth imaging satellite, Cartosat-3, to take clear pictures from 500 kilometres above the Earth. This satellite can capture very small details, even less than 50 centimetres in size.

The pictures show serious destruction, including the collapse of a big bridge over the Irrawaddy River. They also reveal damage to Mandalay University and Ananda Pagoda, which is an old and important temple.

ISRO said that Cartosat-3 is a powerful satellite launched in 2019 to take detailed pictures of Earth. The agency does not often share images from this satellite, so this release is important.

The National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), which is a part of ISRO, took these new images on Saturday. They compared them with older images from March 18 to see how much damage the earthquake caused. According to ISRO, Mandalay city and nearby areas were badly affected.

Earthquake causes widespread damage

A strong earthquake of 7.7 magnitude hit Myanmar on Friday. Soon after, another powerful aftershock of 6.4 magnitude followed. The centre of the earthquake was near the Sagaing-Mandalay border, 10 kilometres underground.

Mandalay, Myanmar’s second largest city, was badly damaged. The earthquake also affected Myanmar’s capital, Naypyidaw, destroying roads, buildings, and other structures.

The earthquake was so powerful that it was felt in other countries, including Thailand. In northern Thailand, places like Chiang Mai also suffered damage.

ISRO’s satellite images show serious damage to famous places in Mandalay. These include Sky Villa, Phayani Pagoda, Mahamuni Pagoda, Ananda Pagoda, and the University of Mandalay. Some buildings were completely destroyed, while others were partially damaged.

In Sagaing city, the earthquake damaged Ma Shi Khana Pagoda, many monasteries, and other buildings.

The images also show that the historic Ava (InnWa) Bridge over the Irrawaddy River has collapsed. Additionally, cracks appeared on the river’s floodplains, and in some areas, the ground became soft due to the shaking.

Earthquake’s link to tectonic activity

ISRO explained that Myanmar is located where two big underground plates—the Indian Plate and the Eurasian Plate—meet. The Indian Plate moves north by 5 cm every year, pressing against the Eurasian Plate.

Myanmar also has many smaller cracks in the earth, called fault lines. One of them is the Sagaing Fault, which runs through central Myanmar. This fault is very active and allows land on either side to slide past each other.

According to ISRO, the earthquake on Friday happened because stress had built up along the Sagaing Fault or nearby faults and it was suddenly released.

After the earthquake, India was one of the first countries to send rescue teams and help Myanmar. Emergency teams and supplies were flown in to assist people affected by the disaster.

The damage caused by the earthquake shows that the region needs better disaster planning to handle such events in the future. ISRO’s satellite images will help Myanmar’s authorities understand how much damage has happened and plan the recovery efforts properly.

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