A devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake has struck Myanmar, causing widespread destruction. As a result of this natural disaster, nearly 2,800 people have lost their lives, thousands have been injured, and countless others have been left homeless.

However, social media users are questioning the reason behind such a massive earthquake in Myanmar — a mystery that scientists have now unraveled.

According to scientists, the earthquake was caused by a phenomenon known as a “supershear rupture.” Supershear earthquakes occur when the rupture speed along a fault line (a crack between underground rock plates) exceeds the speed of the seismic waves (S-waves) generated by the earthquake.

Scientists explained that during the quake, a geological fault — the vast Sagaing Fault, located between the Burma and Sunda tectonic plates — likely ruptured at an extremely high speed, spanning a distance of up to 400 kilometers, which resulted in the powerful quake.

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Dr. Ian Watkinson, an expert from the University of London, stated that the earthquake occurred along the Sagaing Fault.

This is a major tectonic structure along which the Indian plate and western Myanmar, along with other parts of Southeast Asia, shift northward.

Experts added that the rupture spread from north to south within the span of just one minute.