At Least Nine People Killed, Hundreds Injured As 5.7 Quake Hits Bangladesh

By Bhanu Ranjan Chakraborty

DHAKA: At least nine people, including two children, were killed and more than 300 injured when a moderate to strong earthquake struck Bangladesh at 10:38 a.m. on Friday November 21.

According to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department, the quake measured 5.7 on the Richter scale, with its epicentre in the Madhabdi area of Narsingdi district near Dhaka.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reported the magnitude as 5.5, with the epicentre located 14 kilometers west-southwest of Narsingdi town at a depth of 10 kilometers.

The earthquake was felt in several other parts of the country as well. Although the shaking lasted only a few seconds, panic-stricken residents said they experienced violent jolts during the tremor.

Among the victims, three died in Old Dhaka, five in Narsingdi, and one in Narayanganj district. In Gazipur, at least 100 factory workers were injured while rushing out of buildings during the quake.

Three people, including Rafi Ul Islam, a student of Salimullah Medical College Hospital (Mitford), lost their lives when the railing of a five-storey building collapsed in Bangshal, in the old part of Dhaka.

Residents said that three pedestrians died instantly when the railing fell. Cracks also appeared in several buildings during the tremor.

Residents of Dhaka city said the strong tremor was the most severe they had ever experienced. Experts have long warned of the possibility of such an earthquake, and they believe this event is a wake-up call for Bangladesh.

During the quake, many people in various parts of Dhaka rushed out of their homes in panic. It was also learned that the tremor was felt in neighbouring India, including Kolkata in West Bengal.

Geologists said that the region where the earthquake originated lies within the Indo-Burma tectonic plate.