Relief and rehabilitation work in quake-hit northern regions in Myanmar have been underway as Vice President Sa Mauk Kham rushed to the scene several hours after a strong earthquake of 6.8 magnitude Mandalay and Sagaing regions Sunday morning.

The epicenter lies at Tabaitgine in Mandalay region, about 131 kilometers (km) north of Mandalay city and 72 kilometers north of Shwebo township.

Bringing medicines, foodstuff and cash assistance to Tabaitgine, Sa comforted the victims and gave encouragement to them, vowing that the government would provide them with necessary assistance and calling for dissemination of knowledge on earthquake to the people.

There are 843 houses and 921 households with a population of 4, 195 in Tabaitgine.

Xinhua reporters arriving on the scene witnessed that people were scattered outdoor, taking shelter against quake and some houses were spoiled to some extent with electricity blackout but communication and traffic links remained connected.

Less houses were damaged in Shwebo and Kyauk Myaung in Sagaing region, 70 km and 34 km, respectively, away from the epicenter. But local people said the quake was intensely felt.

According to official figures, three people were killed and 35 others injured in Tabaitgine alone, the epicenter of the quake.

Some 102 houses, four schools, 48 government departmental buildings and 21 religious buildings were damaged to different degrees.

With a depth of 10 to 20 km, the tremor struck the two regions at 07:42:37 hours local time (01:12:37 GMT) Sunday.

The quake brought the biggest destruction to the Ayayawaddy- river-crossing bridge, Yadana Theinka, in Kyauk Myaung, Sagaing region under construction.

The collapse of the steel structure of bridge, that links Shwebo and Kyauk Myaung in Sagaing region with Singu in Mandalay region, also sank a vessel loading with goods underneath the bridge, killing a worker with four others missing.

The quake caused damages and casualties with residential houses, school buildings, communication office and pagodas in nine areas -- Sagaing, Shwebo, Kyauk Myaung, Khin Oo , Mandalay, Amarapura, Singu, Kyaukse and Tabaitgine in the two regions, according to state media report.

However, dams in the quake-hit regions remained unaffected.

Incomplete official death toll shows that at least six people were killed, 64 injured and four went missing in the 6.8- magnitude strong earthquake.

Following the quake, there were four moderate aftershocks experiencing on Sunday until midnight at magnitude of 5.0, 5.8 and 5.7.



The quake was also felt in Kaw Lin, Honealin, Mandalay, Pin Oo Lwin, Maw Like, Minmu, Monywa, Moenyin, Pakokku and Meikthila.