6.8-magnitude earthquake in central Myanmar, kills at least 3

CHAUK , Myanmar, Aug. 24 (UPI) -- A 6.8-magnitude earthquake shook Chauk, Myanmar, on Wednesday afternoon, killing at least three people.

The city, with a population of about 180,000, is near the ancient capital of Bagan, near the center of the country formerly known as Burma. The epicenter of the quake was 15 miles west of Chauk at a depth of about 52 miles, the U.S. Geological Survey reported Wednesday.

The earthquake hit at 4:34 p.m. in the Southeast Asian nation. The quake was felt several hundred miles away in Thailand, Bangladesh, India, Laos and China.

Two young girls were killed when a riverbank gave way in Yenanchaung township, south of Chauk, a fire department official from regional capital Magwe said.

One person was killed and another injured when a tobacco processing factory collapsed in Pakkoku, the duty officer at the local fire department said.

At least 66 religious monuments in Bagan were damaged, a spokesman from the department of archaeology told the BBC. Bagan is a major tourist attraction.

Maynmar was stuck by a 5.5-magnitude earthquake Tuesday at its border with India.