Yangon/Bangkok – A powerful earthquake measuring 7.7 on the Richter scale struck Burma (Myanmar) and Thailand early Saturday morning , triggering panic among the population, mass evacuations and fears of possible aftershocks or tsunamis.
According to preliminary data from the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the epicenter of the earthquake was located in a mountainous area in eastern Burma , near the border with Thailand, at a depth of approximately 10 kilometers , which increases its destructive potential.The earthquake was felt with great intensity in several major cities such as Yangon, Chiang Mai and Bangkok , where many residents ran out of their homes in the midst of the tremor.
The campaign committee of longtime California Representative Maxine Waters has agreed to pay a $68,000 fine after a Federal Election Commission (FEC) investigation uncovered multiple violations of campaign finance regulations during the 2020 election cycle.
The investigation found that Waters’ campaign group, Citizens for Waters, had inaccurately reported financial activity, accepted contributions beyond legal limits, and made cash payments that exceeded allowable amounts.
As part of a legal agreement to resolve the matter without going to court, Waters’ campaign agreed to pay the civil fine and send its treasurer to an FEC-sponsored training course on proper campaign finance procedures. The committee must also provide documentation proving the treasurer’s attendance.
Waters’ legal team maintained that the violations were not intentional. Attorney Leilani Beaver stated that the errors were not “willful or purposeful,” and noted that the campaign had taken steps to improve compliance by consulting legal counsel and updating its internal procedures.
More than 120 people have been killed after a powerful earthquake struck a remote region of Tibet on Tuesday morning, with tremors felt across the Himalayas in neighboring Nepal, Bhutan and parts of northern India.
The 7.1-magnitude quake struck at 9:05 a.m. local time at a depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) and was followed by multiple aftershocks, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
The energy unleashed by the tectonic movement toppled houses in remote Himalayan villages, rocked a nearby Tibetan holy city and rattled visitors to a Mount Everest base camp.
At least 126 people were killed and 188 others were injured in the quake, according to state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV). More than 3,600 houses were damaged, it said.
  Its epicenter, located in Tingri county high on the Tibetan plateau, was close to the border with Nepal, around 50 miles north of the world’s highest mountain.
The tremors were felt as far away as Kathmandu, Nepal’s capital. “It was very strong. People came running out of their houses. You could see the wires from poles shaken loose,” said Bishal Nath Upreti from the Nepal Centre for Disaster Management, a non-government organization in Kathmandu.In Tibet, massive rescue efforts by emergency services and the Chinese military have freed more than 400 people trapped by rubble. Over 30,000 residents have been relocated as rescuers continue the search for survivors, authorities said.
The region close to the epicenter is sparsely populated but small villages are nestled in isolated and often hard-to-access Himalayan valleys. About 6,900 people are estimated to live in 27 villages within a 20km (12 mile) radius of the epicenter, according to Xinhua.
  Footage on state media showed the wreckage of collapsed houses and crumpled walls strewn across villages at foothills, with rescuers digging through rubble with bare hands to search for survivors.
Chinese social media videos geolocated by CNN showed damaged roofs, shop fronts and debris piling on the streets of Lhatse county, some 86 km (53 miles) from the epicenter. Some cars and motorcycles parked along the road were also damaged, the footage showed.
The nearest major city to the epicenter is the holy city of Shigatse, some 180 km (111 miles) away. The city is home to about 800,000 people and the traditional seat of the Panchen Lama, the second-highest spiritual leader in Tibetan Buddhism, second only to the Dalai Lama.
Tents are set up for earthquake-affected residents in Dingri County, Xigaze City, on Wednesday.
VCG/Getty Images
The Dalai Lama, who lives in self-imposed exile in India, said he was “deeply saddened” to learn of the earthquake. “I offer my prayers for those who have lost their lives and extend my wishes for a swift recovery to all who have been injured,” he said.
Surveillance camera footage at a supermarket in Shigatse shared by Xinhua captured the moment the quake struck, with customers running outside as goods fell from quivering shelves. There were no immediate reports of widespread damage in the city.
Pu Chi, who lives in Bainang county – about 200 km (125 miles) from the epicenter in Tingri – said she was lying in bed Tuesday morning when she felt the room shake and saw the ceiling light begin to sway.
“I was really scared, so I quickly threw on some clothes and ran outside, then called my family to let them know,” Pu, 24, told CNN. She said it was the first time she had experienced an earthquake.
China’s meteorological administration has warned local residents to take shelter from the cold and wind, with temperatures due to plummet to below 0 degrees Fahrenheit (-18 degrees Celsius) at points over the next two days. Shingatse’s regional government has dispatched thousands of tents, beds and coats to the affected area.
In a statement following the quake, Chinese leader Xi Jinping called on officials to make all-out efforts to search for and rescue survivors, minimize casualties, properly accommodate affected residents, and ensure their safety and warmth in the winter cold.
More than 1,600 soldiers from the People’s Liberation Army and paramilitary police have been deployed to join the rescue, along with military drones, helicopters and transport aircraft.
The State Grid Tibet Electric Power Company has sent a first wave of personnel to affected areas to restore power, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported.
China’s Red Cross Society has allocated more than 4,600 items of disaster relief supplies, including tents, quilts, thermal jackets, and folding beds, for those needing emergency accommodation. The Red Cross has also sent rescue teams to the area, CCTV reported.