A recent earthquake in Myanmar has drawn attention, especially after a local influencer made a prediction about it. John Moe The, who had over 300,000 followers on TikTok, urged his viewers to take their important belongings and evacuate buildings during the shaking. His video gained more than three million views, and the caption warned people not to stay in tall buildings during the day.
On the day of the predicted earthquake, many residents in Yangon took his advice seriously. One woman told AFP that her neighbors chose to camp outside rather than stay in their homes, believing in the prediction.
The earthquake struck on March 28, affecting the Mandalay and Sagaing regions particularly hard. The Myanmar junta even requested foreign aid in response to the disaster. The quake was felt as far away as Bangkok, where a construction site building collapsed, resulting in numerous casualties.
John Moe The’s TikTok account, which has since been taken down, claimed to offer predictions based on astrology and palmistry. Following the earthquake, he was arrested during a raid at his home in Sagaing. This incident highlights the impact of social media on public behavior, especially in times of crisis.