Myanmar quake toll rises to 38

A powerful earthquake that struck Myanmar at the weekend has left 38 people dead or missing, the Red Cross said yesterday as a new tremor rattled the government's showpiece capital Naypyidaw.
Hundreds of buildings were destroyed or damaged in Sunday's tremor, which sent terrified people running from their homes in the country's second-biggest city of Mandalay and surrounding villages.
At least 26 people were killed while 12 others are missing and about 230 were injured, Myanmar Red Cross Society deputy general secretary Aung Kyaw Htut told AFP.

The Red Cross said 251 houses were destroyed and 22 hospitals were damaged along with 137 religious buildings, 48 government offices and four schools.

A series of strong aftershocks has rattled the nation formerly known as Burma.

A 4.8-magnitude quake struck on Tuesday close to the government's showpiece capital Naypyidaw, according to the US Geological Survey, but there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

The initial jolt, which was felt as far away as the Thai capital Bangkok, came little more than a week ahead of a landmark visit by US President Barack Obama, as the West rolls back sanctions to reward dramatic political reforms.