The prediction published on TikTok caused fear amid the recent trauma of a deadly earthquake
TikTok influencer John Moe The was arrested by the Myanmar authorities on charges of spreading panic by claiming that another large earthquake would soon hit the country.
On March 28, a 7.7 magnitude earthquake shook central Myanmar, resulting in over 3,000 deaths, according to the BBC.
The tremor was so intense that Thailand’s Disaster Prevention Department stated that it could be felt across nearly the entire country.
Data from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences revealed that the epicenter was 10 km deep. Twelve minutes after the first shock, a second tremor, with a magnitude of 6.4, was recorded.
On April 9, John Moe The, known for his astrological predictions, posted a warning saying that a “very strong” earthquake would hit Myanmar within 12 days.
“People should not stay in tall buildings during the day,” he told his 300,000 followers on TikTok.
He also recommended that residents “take important things and flee the buildings during the tremor,” adding that the disaster would affect “all cities in Myanmar.”
On Tuesday (April 22), the 21-year-old was arrested at his home in Monywa after a police operation.
In an official statement released two days later (April 24), Myanmar’s military regime declared:
“We received a complaint about fake news being spread through a TikTok account saying a strong earthquake will occur. Effective measures will be taken against him according to the law. Similarly, we will also take effective measures against those who write, spread, or share fake news.”
John Moe has a habit of posting predictions about natural disasters, but the USGS states that there is no scientific basis for accurately predicting earthquakes.
“Neither the USGS nor any other scientist has predicted a large earthquake,” the agency stated.
“We don’t know how, and we don’t expect to know in the near future.”
Despite this, many people still believe in such predictions. Resident Nan Nan told AFP that the TikTok post caused a stir among her neighbors.
“Most of my neighbors didn’t dare stay in their apartments and moved to the street that day,” she said.
“My friend even rented a small house on the outskirts of Yangon in preparation.”
Source and images: Unilad. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
