An earthquake struck Bangladesh on Friday morning. The epicentre was 14 kilometres west-south-west of Narsingdi, 10 kilometres deep from the surface. According to information provided by the National Center for Seismology and Bangladesh's meteorological department, the tremor measured 5.7 on the Richter scale. As a result, Dhaka and vast areas of Bangladesh shook. It is known that due to the earthquake, a building's railing collapsed in Dhaka's Banshaal, killing at least three people.
According to Banshal police station sources, the railing of a five-story building in Kasaituli collapsed during the earthquake. Three pedestrians were seriously injured as a result. Although they were rushed to the local hospital, they could not be saved. Doctors declared them dead. According to sources at Salimullah Medical College and Hospital, a child was among the dead. The deceased was a student at Salimullah Medical College. The identity of the third person has not yet been obtained. Locals first began rescue operations that day. Police rushed to the scene upon receiving the news.
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As soon as the earthquake was felt, panic broke out at a garment factory in the BSCIC area of Tongi, Bangladesh. About 200 workers were injured in the stampede while trying to exit the factory.
According to sources, a six-story building in Kasaituli, Armanitola, Dhaka, was damaged by this tremor. Additionally, sources report that cracks appeared in the wall of Dhaka University's Mokaram building and on the third-floor roof of the old building of Sheikh Mujib Hall. Meanwhile, a house located in the area adjacent to Tongi railway station road, house number 52/A in Dhaka's Swamibagh area, and a house on Badda Link Road were tilted due to the earthquake. During Friday's earthquake, it was the third day of the second Test match between Bangladesh and Ireland at Mirpur Stadium. The tremor was also felt in the stadium. The game was stopped for about three minutes.
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Meanwhile, during the earthquake that day, a student named Tanzir Hossain jumped from the fourth floor of Dhaka University's Haji Muhammad Muhsin Hall in panic. It is known that one of his legs was broken. The student is currently undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College.
So far, no specific information has been provided by the Bangladesh administration regarding the damage. It is known that the administration is working with wartime urgency in the affected areas. Sayeda Rizwana Hasan, advisor on environment, forest and climate change of Bangladesh's interim government, said she had not felt such tremors in the past five years. This is like a warning message. Keeping this in mind, preparations must be made for the future. She also claimed that construction in Dhaka is following building laws. But she said that 90 percent of the buildings that were built earlier do not have the capacity to survive earthquakes.
Bangladesh earthquake expert Professor Humayun Akhtar said Friday's tremor was the highest in contemporary times. He also said that the region where the earthquake occurred is part of the Indo-Burma tectonic plate.
