Thirteen hospitals and about 30 school buildings in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai have minor cracks following the earthquake, measuring at 6.7 magnitude on the Richter scale, which struck Kengtung in Myanmar’s Shan state on Friday morning.
According to Public Health Minister Cholnan Srikaew, the shock wave caused cracking in 11 hospitals in Chiang Rai, two in Chiang Mai and one in the north-eastern province of Sakhon Nakhon.
He said that the cracks are not, however, affecting their structural integrity, even though the paediatric building at the Chiang Rai Prachanukroh Hospital was partially closed, pending further examination and repairs.
In Sakhon Nakhon, he said that a hospital’s emergency department was closed and all its patients were evacuated to nearby hospitals as a precaution.
He added that he is still waiting for updates from hospitals in other provinces, such as Mae Hong Son, Lampang, Phichit, Chainat, Kamphaeng Phet and Uthai Thani.
Thanu Wongchinda, secretary-general of the Vocational Education Commission, said that about 30 schools in Chiang Mai and Chiang Mai have sustained minor damage from the tremor. At Muang Khon School in San Sai district, China Mai, some pillars fractured.
He said that engineers will check all the school buildings which sustained cracks and will order a suspension of the use of any buildings in which main structures were damaged.
