A 5.5-magnitude tremor with its epicenter in Ghorashal shook the region near Dhaka, triggering scenes of panic and causing structural damage in the densely populated capital.
DHAKA — At least nine people were killed and more than 300 injured when a powerful earthquake struck central Bangladesh on Friday morning, sending thousands of residents fleeing into the streets as buildings shuddered and, in some cases, collapsed.
The quake, which the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) measured at a magnitude of 5.5, struck at 10:38 a.m. local time. Its epicenter was located in the Ghorashal area of Narsingdi district, approximately 25 kilometers (15 miles) northeast of the capital, Dhaka, at a shallow depth of 10 kilometers.
The tremor caused significant panic in Dhaka, one of the world’s most densely populated cities. Witnesses reported seeing buildings sway violently, prompting stampedes as office workers and residents rushed to evacuate.
According to local authorities and media reports, the fatalities occurred primarily due to the collapse of walls and roofs in older structures. Dhaka-based DBC Television reported that at least two children were among the dead. In the Old Dhaka area of Armanitola, three pedestrians were killed when a building’s railing and bamboo scaffolding crashed onto the street.
Hospitals across the region have been overwhelmed. The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) confirmed that dozens of critically injured patients were admitted to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital and the Tajuddin Medical College Hospital in Gazipur. Many of the injuries resulted from people jumping from upper floors or being trampled in the panic to exit factories and residential blocks.
“We felt a strong jolt and buildings were shaking like trees,” Suman Rahman, a resident of Dhaka, told reporters. “Staircases were jammed as people rushed down. Everyone was terrified, children were crying.”
The impact was also felt across the border in India, with tremors reported in West Bengal and parts of the northeast, including Kolkata, though no major damage was reported there.
Muhammad Yunus, the chief advisor of Bangladesh’s interim administration, urged citizens to remain calm while authorities assess the full extent of the damage. “We remain committed to ensuring the safety of all citizens,” he said in a statement, advising the public to ignore rumors.
While Bangladesh sits on a seismically active zone at the junction of the Indian, Eurasian, and Burma plates, strong earthquakes in the central region near Dhaka are relatively rare. Experts have long warned that the capital’s rapid, unplanned urbanization and poor construction standards leave it highly vulnerable to seismic events.
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