Strong quake strikes near Thai-Lao border

BANGKOK－A 6.1-magnitude earthquake hit a border area between northern Thailand and Laos on Thursday morning, with tremors felt in the Thai province of Nan bordering Laos.

Somsak Khawsuwan, director-general of the Thai Meteorological Department, said on TV that more than 100 small and large tremors had occurred in neighboring Laos since 11 pm on Wednesday.

Somsak also said the major quake was recorded at 6:50 am on Thursday, 3 kilometers below the surface.

Local media reported that the quake was strongly felt by people in Thailand's north and northeast and even by residents of high-rise buildings in the capital Bangkok.

Thai TV images showed collapsed makeshift houses in Nan Province. A Border Patrol Police academy announced the closure of a school on Thursday as a result of partially collapsed roofs and ceilings.

TV footage showed cracks on the wall of a 500-year-old temple hall in Nan Province. Meanwhile, broken glass was seen at a local bank.

There were no immediate reports of damage after the earthquake. However, even residents in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi said they felt buildings sway. "The ceiling lights were shaking quite strongly. I felt dizzy and scared," said Hanoi resident Tran Hoa Phuong, who felt the earthquake in her 27-story apartment building, Reuters reported.

Meanwhile, Xinhua News Agency reported that Laos-China Railway Co Ltd, which is in charge of the construction of the China-Laos railway running through northern Laos, said that the railway construction was not affected by the earthquake.

The 414-km railway, with tunneled sections totaling 198 kilometers and bridges covering 62 km, will run from Boten, on the northern border with China, to Vientiane, with an operating speed of 160 km/h.

Bounphak Inthapanya, deputy governor of the Xayabury Province, told reporters with online newspaper Vientiane Times that all the districts of the province might be affected by the earthquake, with Hongsa district being the worst hit.

"Some buildings were damaged, but the provincial government has not received a detailed report of damage and casualties," he said.

The deputy governor also said that the provincial government has dispatched officials to every district to collect information on the impact of the quake.

XINHUA