DHAKA: A strong earthquake hit Bangladesh on Friday near the capital Dhaka, killing at least five people and injuring around a hundred, the government reported.
The 5.5-magnitude quake struck at 10:38am (0438 GMT) near Narsingdi, about 33 kilometres (16 miles) from Dhaka, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).
The morning tremor caused panic across the nation of 170 million people, many of whom were at home on their day off. AFP reporters in Dhaka saw people weeping in the streets while others appeared shocked.
Interim leader Muhammad Yunus expressed his “deep shock and sorrow over the news of casualties in various districts.” He said at least five people, including a child, had died and around 100 others were injured, including university students and factory workers.
Nine people were taken to hospitals in Dhaka with serious injuries, according to the government’s health department.
An eyewitness told AFP that debris from an eight-storey building in a Dhaka district had fallen onto a busy road. “Many people had gathered at the butcher’s” when the rubble fell, said 50-year-old Sakib Hossain. “I saw vans carrying injured people,” he added.
The USGS warned of potentially “significant casualties” and damage. Yunus said the government was taking “all necessary measures” and emergency services were “responding swiftly to the reports of damage” from across the country, including Dhaka.
The Bangladesh Meteorological Department reported that the shaking lasted for 26 seconds and measured 5.7 in magnitude. “The situation is being closely monitored, and all relevant departments have been directed to go to the field to assess any possible damage immediately,” Yunus said.
Yunus, an 85-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner, was appointed after a mass uprising toppled the government in August 2024 to lead the country to elections scheduled for February 2026.
Strong tremors were also felt in Kolkata, India, more than 325 kilometres from the epicentre. AFP reporters there saw people fleeing offices and homes. “I felt tremors and my bed moved… I rushed out of my room,” said 66-year-old Sumit Dutta. There were no immediate reports of casualties or significant damage in India.