There was a moderate-strength earthquake with a magnitude of 5.2 on the Richter scale and its epicentre near the town of Tada-U just south of Mandalay City, in Mandalay Region on 15 December.

The earthquake hit at 3:16 a.m. on 15 December with its epicentre about 15 miles southwest of Mandalay Earthquake Station at a depth of 6.3 kilometres.

A Mandalay apartment resident said: “The building was shaken by a loud thump; the feeling was obvious. I've felt earthquakes before, and this one was even stronger. It shook continuously for three or four seconds.”

A resident of Kalaw, just over 100km south of the earthquake epicentre said: “I was watching a World Cup soccer match at 3:00 a.m. when I was startled by what felt like people running up to my house. The house shook as I kept quiet and listened, then I actually realised it was an earthquake.”

According to the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology, the earthquake was felt by people in Mandalay, Magwe, and Sagaing regions, as well as Shan state.

Some ancient pagodas and temples in Mandalay and Sagaing Regions were damaged by the earthquake.

The crack in an ancient statue in a historical area near to Mingun Town in Sagaing Region expanded, and one of the hands of an ancient lion statue facing the Ayeyarwady River collapsed.

A resident of Mingun Town said: “The diamond bud and vane of Mya Thein Tan Pagoda have fallen. In addition, one of the ancient lion statue's hands was damaged in the Mingun area.”

There was also some damage to the Queen Malnu Temple in Innwa's ancient city of Tada-U Town, according to another local.

The earthquake also caused the diamond bud of the Mani Yadaran Pagoda to fall off and the ceilings of some monasteries and houses to collapse.