Earthquake leaves dozen dead, scores injured

Buildings rocked massively and residents made panic exit in Dhaka and nearby as a major earthquake shook Bangladesh on Friday morning that left around a dozen people dead and scores injured.

A large number of buildings in the crammed capital city, Dhaka, developed cracks or tilted, sending down debris on streets and alleyways, resulting in at least four deaths and numerous injured, witnesses and official sources said.

Another died in Narayanganj and five in Narsingdi district wherein the earthquake, measuring 5.7 on the Richter scale, originated.

In Old Dhaka's Kasaituli area, a brick-built rooftop railing collapsed on the road, killing Rafiul Islam, 21, a student of Sir Salimullah Medical College, Abdur Rahim, 48, a fabrics trader, and Rahim's son Abul Aziz Remon, 12. Rafiul went to buy meat with his mother minutes before the collapse. He died at hospital, while his mother underwent emergency surgery.

Crowds gathered in front of Noyon's meat shop due to Friday discounts, witnesses said, increasing the scale of casualties when the railing gave way.

In Dhaka's Mugda area, a 50-year-old security guard was killed after a portion of a building's wall collapsed on him during the earthquake. The deceased, Md Maksud, was on duty at the under-construction building.

An official of Mugda Police Station said he was attempting to rush outside as the tremor shook the structure. "At the moment, a portion of the wall from an upper floor collapsed on him, leaving him critically injured. He was immediately taken to the emergency department of Mugda Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared him dead around 12:00pm."

Also, preliminary reports say, many workers were injured in factories in Gazipur and other industrial areas during a panic exit after the tremor struck about 10:38am.

"The earth under foot shakes up suddenly. I was standing outside Shwapno super-shop's Malibagh outlet. Shouts around: 'Earthquake, quake occurs!" Says a firsthand account of the tremor.

One horrified wayfarer moving past narrates the flyover nearby was rocking for few seconds.

Residents ran out of buildings out of scare, and stood outside for quite some time in fear of aftershocks.

There were reports of many buildings having developed cracks in the largely haphazardly-built city. The full extent of material and human losses was yet to be known.

Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) located the epicentre in Madhabdi, Narsingdi, about 13- kilometre east of Dhaka's Agargaon seismic station. The US Geological Survey (USGS) measured the tremor at 5.5 on the Richter scale, locating the epicentre slightly west-southwest of Narsingdi.

The sudden, forceful jolt-described by experts as the strongest in Dhaka in decades-sent millions scrambling out of homes, offices and educational institutions, many barefoot and still in their nightclothes, as buildings lurched and furniture shifted violently.

In Old Dhaka, eyewitnesses said, three pedestrians were killed instantly when a railing and bamboo scaffolding from a five-storey building crashed onto the street amid the shaking. The collapse was triggered as a mobile- network tower on one rooftop toppled onto another building during the quake, shattering balconies and sending debris onto the crowded street below.

Fire Service officials confirmed at least three died at Mitford Hospital, while others arrived with severe injuries, including "head trauma and fractures sustained during the collapse or while fleeing buildings in panic".

In Narsingdi, at least five people were killed and more than a hundred injured the 5.7-magnitude earthquake struck Sadar and Palash upazilas from a close range, triggering widespread panic and significant structural damage.

In Narayanganj's Rupganj, a newborn girl named Fatema died when a roadside wall collapsed during the quake, crushing her as she passed by with her mother. Both her mother, Kulsuma Begum, and another woman were injured.

Hospitals in Dhaka and neighbouring districts struggled to manage a sudden influx of patients after the earthquake that left hundreds injured-most from panic-driven falls, stampedes and collapsing structures.

By mid-afternoon, government hospitals across the capital had treated hundreds of patients, with at least nearly 100 arriving at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) alone, including two Dhaka University students.

Health Adviser of the interim government Nurjahan Begum, who visited DMCH around noon, instructed all facilities to ensure uninterrupted treatment for the injured.

The National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation (NITOR) treated over 80 patients for fractures and soft-tissue injuries--at least 15 requiring immediate surgery.

Hospitals in Old Dhaka, including Sir Salimullah Medical College (Mitford) Hospital, handled critical trauma cases after a building sunshade collapsed in the Kasaituli area, killing three and injuring more than ten.

Outside the capital, medical facilities in Narsingdi, closer to the epicentre, faced capacity strain as over 100 injured sought treatments for lacerations, head injuries and debris-related wounds. At least three critical patients were transferred to Dhaka for advanced care.

In Gazipur and Cumilla, industrial zones reported mass injuries from stampedes, with hospitals in Tongi, Sreepur and Cumilla receiving dozens of garment workers.

From Dhaka to Barishal, Rajshahi, Khulna, Bogura, Magura, Noakhali and Netrakona, residents described the shaking as sudden and violent. Buildings swayed sharply, ceiling fans rocked, and household items toppled.

In Dhaka's Mirpur, Siam recalls screaming as she felt her building "was going to collapse". In Khilkhet, milk spilled from boiling pots as apartments shook uncontrollably. In Kalyanpur and Kalinagar's fragile settlements, residents fled tin-roofed houses fearing they would cave in.

At Dhaka University, panic led to desperate attempts to escape crammed dormitories. Ttwo students fractured their legs jumping from buildings in Zia Hall and Muhsin Hall. One of them, Tanzir Hossain, was admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital in critical condition.

Seismologists describe Friday tremor as a loud warning for Bangladesh about what may lie in wait.

Rubaiyat Kabir, acting head of BMD's seismic observatory, says this was the strongest quake felt in Dhaka in decades, noting that the region has a long history of major earthquakes and "a larger quake could occur at any time."

Prominent seismologist Prof Humayun Akhter calls the shaking "the strongest he has experienced in the Bangladesh context," emphasising the country's position on the Indo-Burma tectonic plate.

BUET professor Mehedi Ahmed Ansary says Bangladesh had "every reason to expect such earthquakes," warning that a 6-magnitude or higher event could cause a catastrophe.

He notes that Dhaka's six lakh buildings over six storeys are particularly vulnerable, many built without adherence to structural codes.

"Today's quake is a reminder that we must act now," he says, urging immediate structural assessments across the capital.

Fire Service reports indicate dozens of building cracks across Dhaka, minor fires, and a handful of leaning or damaged structures. A building near the Chief Adviser's Office was inspected after reports of damage, though none was found.

A building in Swamibagh reportedly leaned onto an adjacent structure, prompting an emergency response. A seven-storey building in Kalabagan was also feared to have tilted, though Fire Service officials later said it remained structurally intact. Minor fires were reported in Baridhara and Munshiganj, though their connection to the quake remained uncertain.

At Dhaka University, several buildings also developed cracks, and plasters fell off in different areas of the campus.

According to initial reports, Abdullah Al Tanbir of Economics Department and Tanjir Hossain of Journalism Department, both residents of Mohsin Hall, sustained injuries while jumping. Tanvir Bari Hamim, Convenor of Kabi Jasim Uddin Hall unit of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, also suffered injuries to his leg.

In Ziaur Rahman Hall, one student was seriously injured and was taken to the Emergency Department of the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH).

Eyewitnesses said within seconds of feeling the tremor, several students jumped from rooftops and windows out of fear. Many of the buildings from which they jumped are old, making the situation more risky.

Plasters reportedly fell from multiple buildings, including Mohsin Hall, Surja Sen Hall, Jasim Uddin Hall, Sir AF Rahman Hall, Khandakar Mokarram Building, and Sheikh Fazlul Haque Muslim Hall.

Following the tremor, students once again raised concerns about safety in the old and shabby residential-hall buildings.

In an instant reaction, students of Haji Muhammad Mohsin Hall besieged a newly-constructed multi-storey staff quarter near Zahurul Haq Hall on demand that seats in the building be allocated to them.

Mohsin Hall student union Vice-President Sadik Hossain Sikder says, "Since 2014, the university's engineering section has declared Mohsin Hall unfit for residence. Yet more than ten years have elapsed, and the administration has shown no initiative. A shameless and irresponsible administration is spending its days safely while keeping us at risk of life."

He adds: "We, the students of Haji Muhammad Mohsin Hall, have experienced multiple earthquakes before. Many of our students were injured in those incidents, hands and legs were broken, and severe injuries were suffered. All those examples still exist today. Mohsin Hall has become a death trap, yet the administration has taken no action despite our repeated demands."

Sadik further said that the university was supposed to renovate or rebuild the fragile halls as part of its responsibility as a full-fledged residential university, but in reality, nothing has been done. "We have seen new buildings being constructed for class-four employees, while our hall remains unsafe and neglected."

bdsmile@gmail.com

armanhossen7971@gmail.com