Chiang Rai Jolted By Tremors

Chiang Rai jolted by tremors

CHIANG RAI: -- The Meteorological Department reported yesterday that two medium-sized earthquakes jolted Chiang Rai at 9.13 am and 9.14 am with magnitudes of 3.8 and 3.9 on the Richter scale, respectively. Centred in Pa Daet district, 42km south-east of Muang district, the quakes caused cracks in several residential and public buildings but no serious damage, injuries or fatalities.

But there have been conflicting accounts by residents and other authorities of how many tremors actually struck.

District chief Cherdchai Piboonwuttikul said four quakes hit the area at 6.10 am, 9.14 am, 9.17 am and 1.50 pm. Local resident Kampan Sukanta, 53, said he felt three tremors at dawn, noon and 1 pm.

The tremors caused cracks in an apartment building where local administrative officials live and in two local convention hall buildings belonging to the district administration office and Sanmaka Tambon Administration Organisation.

Suwat Talert, Pa Daet district's chief security officer, said that during the quakes in the morning and at noon his colleagues heard loud noises from buildings shaking and ceilings cracking. He said it was now being studied if buildings were strong enough to withstand further shocks.

Damage at the meeting hall in Sanmaka consisted of three major cracks in windows and one crack in the ceiling.

An official at Pa Daet Hospital said the morning tremors made patients panic and some prepared themselves to leave the two-storey building. There were another two jolts at noon and 1 pm.

The seismic activity has triggered concern among Chiang Rai residents as there was another earthquake the day before yesterday in Muang and Thoeng districts measuring 4.1 on the Richter scale.

--Bangkok Post 2005-12-17