Viettel, FPT staff safe after earthquake in Myanmar

There have been four deaths and hundreds of old pagodas damaged by the quake.

According to the US Geological Survey, the epicentre of the earthquake occurred near the town of Chauk, about 30 km south from the ancient city of Bagan. 

The quake rocked buildings and affected power supply in many parts of the Southeast Asian country.

Tremors were also felt in neighbouring Bangladesh and several states in India, including West Bengal, Bihar and Assam.

Talking to reporters from VietnamPlus on August 25, a Viettel representative said that the unit has assigned its staffed to stay alert 24/7 to receive updates.

When there is an emergency such as natural disasters, it will take immediate remedial measures to ensure the safety of its workers and employees.

There are about 30 Viettel officers and staff currently working in Myanmar.

A joint venture between Viettel and the host’s partners is expected to jointly invest US$1.5 billion to build a modern telecommunications network covering nearly 95% of Myanmar's population within three years.

"The earthquake was mainly centred in the city and surrounding areas of Bagan, at the time Viettel staff were gathering in Yangon so they were not affected," a Viettel representative asserted.

For FPT, Myanmar has been identified as one of its key markets. The group opened a representative office in the south-east Asian nation at the beginning of 2013. In July of the same year, FPT Myanmar was founded.

By the end of last July, FPT Myanmar had approximately 165 employees, including 139 native people.

Recently, FPT announced that it has been selected by the Myanmar Payment Union as a major investor for a financial switching system.

Accordingly, within one year from the beginning of August, FPT will invest in the construction and deployment of the entire system for MPU’s lease within ten years, while enjoying charges on each electronic transaction.