Dhaka, Bangladesh: A powerful 5.7 magnitude earthquake struck Bangladesh on Friday morning, shaking the capital Dhaka and surrounding districts. The tremor caused widespread panic, damaged buildings, triggered fires, and left at least 10 people dead and more than 100 injured.
Casualties Across Districts
- Dhaka: Four fatalities were reported, including a medical student, an eight‑year‑old boy, and a private security guard. Several others sustained serious injuries when debris and collapsing structures struck them.
- Narsingdi: The epicentre of the quake, located about 13 km east of Dhaka’s Agargaon seismic centre, recorded five deaths and multiple critical injuries.
- Narayanganj: One child died after a wall collapsed, while her mother was severely injured.
In Gazipur, an industrial hub near Dhaka, at least 100 workers were hurt while rushing out of factories during the tremor.
Structural Damage and Fires
- In Old Dhaka’s Armanitola, falling scaffolding and debris from a five‑storey building killed three people.
- Buildings in Swamibagh and Kalabagan were reported leaning, though fire officials later confirmed structural stability.
- Fires broke out in Baridhara and Munshiganj, with firefighters responding quickly to contain the blazes.
- Cracks appeared in several structures across Dhaka, Narsingdi, Rajshahi, and Chattogram.
Expert Warnings
Bangladesh lies on active tectonic plate boundaries, making it highly vulnerable to earthquakes. Experts have long cautioned that a major quake is inevitable.
Officials from the Meteorology Department noted that such a strong tremor so close to Dhaka is unprecedented. They warned that if the quake had lasted just a few seconds longer, casualties and damage could have been far greater.
Professor Mehedi Ahmed Ansary of BUET emphasized the risk, stating: “This tremor is an alarm bell for Bangladesh. A magnitude 6 quake could collapse most structures in the country.”
