Exponential Risk TV Episode 4
The Myanmar Earthquake: From Ground Motion to Insurance Insight
A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck Myanmar in March 2025, with shaking so intense it caused a 33-story building under construction to collapse in Bangkok, over 1,000 km from the epicentre. While insured losses may be limited, this event reveals major implications for catastrophe models, insurance coverage and risk understanding across the region.
In this episode of Exponential Risk TV, we explore how the 2025 Myanmar earthquake challenges catastrophe modelling, exposes gaps in construction-phase insurance and reveals why far-field damage is becoming more relevant in disaster risk assessment.
This episode covers:
- The rupture length, shaking intensity, and why Bangkok was affected
- How soil amplification played a key role in damage far from the epicentre
- Why buildings under construction are more vulnerable during seismic events
- How Contractors All Risk (CAR) and Builders Risk insurance respond to construction-phase damage during seismic events
- How cat models handle soil type, exposure buildup and vulnerability during construction
Featuring:
- Matthew Grant, CEO, InsTech
- Claire Souch, Independent Consultant
- Andy Thompson, Co-Founder & CEO, Safehub
