A powerful earthquake struck Dhaka and surrounding areas on Friday morning, jolting buildings across the city and causing widespread panic.
The tremor, felt in many parts of the country and even neighbouring India, led to casualties, structural damage, and urgent responses from fire services.
Fire officials reported three more injured and ten others receiving treatment after a partial collapse in an eight-storey building in Armanitola.
In the same area, an eight-storey building in Koshaituli raised alarm but later inspection confirmed only minor plaster and brick damage. No casualties occurred.
At Dhaka University, several halls including Haji Muhammad Mohsin Hall, Kabi Jasimuddin Hall, Sir AF Rahman, Mokarram, and Sheikh Fazlul Hall suffered minor plaster damage.
Meanwhile, North Badda residents reported cracks in multiple buildings. Similar reports came from Dhanmondi, New Market, and other Dhaka neighbourhoods.
In Khilgaon, a brick fell from an under-construction building, injuring a resident who locals took to hospital. Another seven-storey building in Kalabagan’s Abedkhali Road reportedly tilted, but no casualties occurred.
The Private University Students Alliance of Bangladesh (PUSAB) reported visible cracks at several locations inside North South University. PUSAB urged university authorities to inspect them immediately. The cracks are alarming because NSU is considered one of the country’s most structurally sound campuses.
In Baridhara, a house on Block-F, Road-5 caught fire. Fire units responded quickly, though it remains unclear if the blaze resulted from the quake. Munshiganj’s Gozaria also reported a house fire.
Authorities ruled out some earlier reports of damage. Rumours of a building collapse in front of New Market and the Chief Adviser’s office proved false after inspections found no structural damage.
The Bangladesh Meteorological Department reported the quake struck at 10:38am, measuring 5.7 on the Richter scale. The epicentre lay 13 kilometres from Dhaka and 10 kilometres below ground.
The earthquake caused widespread panic across the capital. Residents rushed outdoors as buildings shook violently. Authorities are still assessing the full extent of damage and casualties.
