BURMA QUAKE

Grey River Argus, 9 May 1930, Page 5

BURMA QUAKE

— - 3000 HOMELESS 600 to 1000 Dead (Aus. and N.Z. Cable Assu.) DELHI, May 7. Survivors of the Pegu earthquake disaster, arriving at Rangoon, state that the town of Pegu was almost wiped out. There are si*x hundred to a ihousand dead, and thirty thousand . re homeless.

Several houses, with the inht bitants, completely disappeared into huge fissures in the ground, and all the shops were wrecked. The post office and rai.lwajy station were severely* * damaged. The destruction of bridges and the permanent way caused dislocation of the service.

When the gaol collapsed many prisoners escaped. Troops and police were sent from Rangoon to round them up, and prevent looting. Injured and killed are still being -extricated from the ruins, and taken to hospital, where many deaths from injuries are reported hourly. The town of Vaya also suffered severely from the earthquake. Many were buried alive by the collapse of

a mosque and courthouse. All the bazaar buildings were wrecked. The death roll is estimated at fifty. It is reported that the island of Tjongwa in the Hanthawaddy district completely disappeared. The casualties are unknown.