Myanmar TikTok astrologer arrested for predicting another strong earthquake
What's the story
John Moe The, a popular TikTok astrologer with over 300,000 followers, has been arrested by Myanmar authorities for allegedly inciting panic.
The 21-year-old is accused of predicting another powerful earthquake in every city in Myanmar.
His video post on April 9 warned that a "very strong" quake would hit "every city in Myanmar" within 12 days and advised people not to stay in tall buildings during the day.
Arrest
His video post garnered 3.3 million views
The Myanmar military government confirmed Moe's arrest in a statement published by state media.
Authorities said, "We got a tip-off about fake news being spread through a TikTok account that a severe earthquake will hit."
They vowed to take effective action against him as per law and also against those who write or spread or share fake news.
Prediction track record
His predictions included various events
Moe's TikTok account, "John (Palmistry)," often posts text predictions with a cosmic background.
His forecasts include various weather disasters, civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi's release after being overthrown in the country's 2021 coup, and US airstrikes on Myanmar's soil.
However, predicting earthquakes beforehand is scientifically impossible, says the US Geological Survey (USGS).
No major earthquake has ever been predicted by them or any other scientists, it says.
Aftermath
Last month's quake killed over 3,700
Moe's prediction follows last month's devastating earthquake in central Myanmar, which killed over 3,700 people and displaced about 60,000.
Many survivors are now living in tent encampments due to continuous aftershocks.
In neighboring Thailand, the tremor was felt intensely in the capital, Bangkok; however, just one huge building collapsed totally.
Thai authorities have requested a study into the isolated collapse to investigate whether it was caused by inadequate building materials, design problems, or a failure in the inspection procedure.