Bangladesh Quake: Six Killed in Dhaka as 5.7 Tremor Triggers Building Collapses
Six dead as powerful tremor collapses structures in Dhaka.
A moderate but destructive 5.7-magnitude earthquake struck central Bangladesh on Friday morning, resulting in the tragic loss of at least six lives in the densely populated capital Dhaka and triggering widespread alarm across neighbouring eastern India. The shallow nature of the quake amplified its impact, turning routine urban infrastructure into deadly hazards within seconds.
The tremor originated at 10:08 am local time, with its epicentre located just 13 kilometres south-southwest of Narsingdi town in Madhabdi upazila and at a depth of only 10 kilometres, according to coordinated reports from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Bangladesh Meteorological Department. Such shallow earthquakes are particularly dangerous in densely built urban areas because seismic waves lose little energy before reaching the surface, causing intense ground motion even at moderate magnitudes.
The most harrowing incidents unfolded in Dhaka’s Bongshal neighbourhood, where three pedestrians were crushed to death when the concrete railing of a five-storey commercial building suddenly gave way and plummeted onto the crowded street below. Eyewitnesses described scenes of panic as the structure disintegrated mid-shake; two victims were declared dead at the scene, while the third succumbed to injuries at Sir Salimullah Medical College (Mitford) Hospital. Separately, three additional fatalities occurred when a building roof and an adjacent wall collapsed, burying residents beneath rubble, according to police and hospital authorities.
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Across Bangladesh, intense shaking was reported in at least ten districts, including Chandpur, Nilphamari, Sitakunda, Sirajganj, Narayanganj, Patuakhali, Bogura, Barisal, Moulvibazar, and the port city of Chattogram. Social media footage showed office workers and schoolchildren streaming into streets, markets emptying in seconds, and high-rise buildings swaying visibly. Authorities urged calm while emergency teams began assessing structural damage, particularly to older and poorly maintained buildings in the capital.
In India, the earthquake’s reach extended across West Bengal and several Northeastern states, with prolonged tremors felt in Kolkata, Siliguri, Guwahati, Agartala, and Shillong. Residents in multi-storey apartments and office towers rushed to open areas as a precautionary measure, causing temporary traffic gridlock on major roads. Although no casualties or significant structural damage have been reported from the Indian side so far, seismologists have cautioned that aftershocks remain possible and urged continued vigilance in the region.
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