Five Dead and Hundreds Injured as 5.5 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Bangladesh

Hadisur Rahman, JadeTimes Staff

H. Rahman is a Jadetimes news reporter covering Asia

---

Image Source: Matt Spivey

A powerful 5.5 magnitude earthquake struck Bangladesh, leaving at least five people dead, including a child, and more than 450 injured across the country. The tremor, whose epicentre was near the Narsingdi district about 30 kilometers from the capital, Dhaka, caused buildings to shake and makeshift structures to collapse, prompting mass evacuations and disrupted daily life in several regions.

Witnesses described scenes of panic as residents rushed from homes and offices. In Dhaka, at least three fatalities were reported after a railing and debris fell from a five-storey building in the Armanitola area. Emergency responders reported a number of injuries as people attempted to escape from collapsing structures. In Dhaka University, the stampede to exit classrooms left more than a dozen students injured as crowds surged toward the streets.

Officials cautioned that the casualty figures were evolving as rescue teams conducted assessments. Nitai Chandra De Sarkar, director of the monitoring division, said 461 people had been reported injured nationwide, with Gazipur district alone accounting for about 252 injuries. He emphasized that the immediate focus was on assessing casualties and damage and that search-and-rescue operations would scale up as the situation permitted.

Local authorities and security services urged residents to remain vigilant for aftershocks, which are common after such events. Environmental adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan remarked that the community had not experienced an earthquake of this strength in several years, underscoring the unpredictable nature of the incident and the ongoing need for safety measures.

In additional ripple effects, international observers noted that tremors were felt in eastern Indian states bordering Bangladesh, though no major damage was reported there. The quake also caused an interruption on Ireland’s second cricket test match in Bangladesh, with players and officials taking shelter briefly before play resumed after the tremors subsided.

Analysts noted that the disaster could affect infrastructure and housing, particularly in more vulnerable neighborhoods. Rescue services urged residents to stay clear of fallen utility lines and unstable structures while engineers and investigators assess the integrity of damaged buildings.

As authorities coordinate response efforts, questions remain about the pace of recovery and the resources required to repair or rebuild affected facilities. The situation continues to develop as teams work to clear debris, locate anyone still unaccounted for, and provide essential aid to those in need. The immediate priority, officials say, is to ensure public safety and support for the injured and their families in the aftermath of the earthquake.