A 5.7-magnitude earthquake shook Bangladesh on Friday, with strong tremors felt in Dhaka and several other districts at 10:38am.
Two quick, separate quakes also shook Jashore and nearby areas. The Jashore Meteorological Office confirmed the incidents and estimated the first tremor at 5.2 on the Richter scale.
Officials said the epicentre lay in Madhabdi, about seven kilometres from Ghorashal in Narsingdi. The intensity in Jashore remained moderate, but the back-to-back jolts within minutes caused widespread panic.
Ariful Islam, a resident of the MM College area in Jashore town, said, “I was inside my house when the chair suddenly started shaking. I realised it was an earthquake. When I came outside, I saw others had also rushed downstairs. The tremor was brief, but since it happened twice, everyone got scared.”
Residents in Munshiganj reported three strong jolts in succession.
People in Mymensingh, Natore, Cumilla, Madaripur, Magura, Bandarban and Joypurhat also felt strong tremors. In many places, residents ran outdoors in fear.
In Dhaka, three pedestrians died in Bangshal after the railing of a building collapsed during the quake, according to the duty officer at Bangshal Police Station.
