A 5.7-magnitude earthquake hit Bangladesh on Friday morning, jolting Dhaka and several other districts.
The tremors caused panic across the capital, where a section of a five-storey building collapsed in the densely populated Armanitola area, killing at least three people and injuring ten.
Officials confirmed that a brick-built railing, bamboo scaffolding, and debris fell from the structure in Koshaituli during the quake, striking pedestrians below.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Lalbagh Division Deputy Commissioner Mallik Ahsan Uddin Sami said the fire service and civil defence teams found three people dead at the scene.
“We have been informed that at least three people have been killed after debris from a five-storey building fell on bystanders. Another person remains in critical condition,” he said.
Banshal Police Station Duty Officer Ashish Kumar Ghosh added that two victims died on the spot, while the third succumbed to injuries at Mitford Hospital. Efforts to identify all victims are still ongoing.
Eyewitness Describes Tower Collapse
Local resident Imran Hossain told The Business Standard that a mobile network tower on the roof of a nearby building toppled during the tremor.
“The tower fell onto another building’s balconies, causing debris to collapse onto people below,” he said.
This secondary collapse is believed to have contributed to the casualties.
According to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD), the earthquake’s epicentre was located in Madhabdi, Narsingdi district.
Tremors lasted several seconds, prompting frightened residents across Dhaka to rush outdoors.
Reports of minor cracks have emerged from neighbourhoods across the city, although no major structural damage has been confirmed.
Tremors Felt Across Multiple Districts
The earthquake was widely felt across Bangladesh.
Districts reporting tremors include:
- Chandpur
- Nilphamari
- Sitakunda
- Sirajganj
- Narayanganj
- Patuakhali
- Bogura
- Barisal
- Moulvibazar
Local authorities are assessing the structural safety of buildings in affected areas.
Emergency teams continue to monitor the situation, while engineers have been deployed to inspect damaged buildings.
The government is expected to review earthquake preparedness protocols, especially in older, densely built neighbourhoods.
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