In brief
On November 21, a 5.5 magnitude earthquake devastated parts of Bangladesh, particularly near the Narsingdi district, causing significant structural damage and injuries. Eyewitness accounts describe chaotic scenes as buildings shook and people evacuated into the streets. Authorities reported five deaths, including a child, and over 450 injuries, with ongoing assessments to understand the full impact of the tremor. Responders are currently focusing on assessing casualties and managing the aftermath of this rare seismic event.
At least five people have been killed, including one child, and more than 450 injured after a 5.5 magnitude earthquake hit Bangladesh.The epicentre of the earthquake was close to the Narsingdi district, about 30 kilometres (18.6 miles) from the capital, Dhaka.People rushed from residential buildings as buildings shook and makeshift structures collapsed. At least 10 students were injured in a stampede as they tried to leave Dhaka University on Friday.We have never experienced an earthquake this powerful in the last five years, said the country's environmental adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan.At least three people were killed when a railing and debris fell from a five-storey building in Dhaka's Armanitola area, deputy police commissioner Mallik Ahsan Uddin Sami said.Nitai Chandra De Sarkar, director of the department's monitoring division, reported that 461 people have been injured across the country, with 252 in the Gazipur district, north of Dhaka.Sarker told the BBC: Our main task at the moment is to assess casualties and damage. We are not yet seeing the challenge of rescue from the rubble or debris management at that level.Bengali Sadman Sakib shared, I have never felt such a tremor in my 30 years of life. We were at the office when the furniture started shaking. We rushed down the stairs onto the street and saw other people on the road already.A student named Abdullah, who was sleeping at the time of the earthquake, described the experience saying, the whole building was shaking.Tremors were felt in eastern Indian states bordering Bangladesh, but no major damages were reported there.The earthquake also briefly interrupted Ireland's cricket test match in Bangladesh. Coaches and players not involved gathered at the boundary, while fans in the stands took shelter for about three minutes before play resumed.Ireland's head coach Heinrich Malan remarked on the unsettling experience, expressing concern for those affected by the earthquake's impact as the game continued.
