A powerful earthquake struck Bangladesh on Friday (Nov 21), killing at least five people and injuring more than 100, according to health officials, after strong tremors rattled the capital Dhaka and surrounding districts.
The 5.5-magnitude quake, recorded by the US Geological Survey (USGS), hit at 10.38am local time near Narsingdi, a city located just 33km northeast of Dhaka. The Bangladesh Meteorological Department measured the quake slightly higher, at 5.7, noting that the shaking lasted 26 seconds.
The earthquake struck on the weekly holiday in the Muslim-majority nation of 170 million people, catching many at home. Residents rushed into the streets as buildings swayed, windows rattled, and light structures collapsed.
In Dhaka, witnesses described scenes of chaos: people weeping, children screaming, and crowds clogging staircases as they tried to escape. “We felt a strong jolt and buildings were shaking like trees,” said resident Suman Rahman. “Staircases were jammed as people rushed down. Everyone was terrified, children were crying.”
Reuters reporters at the scene observed anxious crowds gathering in open areas, many too afraid to re-enter their homes.
Interim national leader Muhammad Yunus, the 85-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate leading the country since the August 2024 uprising, confirmed that at least five people, including a child, had died. Many victims were injured by falling debris or during the frantic rush to evacuate buildings.
Yunus said around 100 people were being treated for injuries, including university students and factory workers. At least nine people were brought to hospitals in Dhaka with serious trauma, the government’s health department reported.
In one incident in a Dhaka district, masonry from an eight-story building crashed onto a busy road below. “Many people had gathered at the butcher when the rubble fell,” said Sakib Hossain, 50. “I saw vans carrying injured people.”
The Fire Service and Civil Defence Department said most injuries resulted from falling bricks, cement blocks, and debris dislodged from buildings under construction.
Office worker Sadman Sakib recalled the moment the tremors struck: “I have never felt such a tremor in my life. Furniture started shaking. We rushed down the stairs and saw crowds already gathering outside.”
The USGS warned of potentially “significant casualties” and structural damage, given the dense population and vulnerable construction in and around Dhaka.
Interim leader Yunus expressed “deep shock and sorrow” over the casualties, assuring the nation that emergency teams were being deployed across affected districts. “All necessary measures are being taken, and emergency services are responding swiftly to the reports of damages,” he said.
He urged citizens to remain alert and avoid rumours or misinformation, adding that official guidance would be provided through government hotlines and channels as needed.
The Bangladesh Meteorological Department said all relevant agencies had been ordered to immediately assess damage and monitor aftershocks.
The quake was strong enough to be felt across the border in India’s eastern city of Kolkata, more than 325km from the epicentre. Residents there reported beds shaking and doors rattling.
“I felt the tremors and my bed moved… I rushed out of my room,” said Sumit Dutta, 66. Indian authorities said there were no immediate reports of casualties or major damage.
Bangladesh, located on a seismically active zone where the Indian and Eurasian plates meet, has long been vulnerable to earthquakes. Rapid urbanisation, dense population, and thousands of unregulated buildings make the capital especially at risk.
Friday’s quake is one of the strongest felt near Dhaka in recent years, rattling nerves across a country still recovering from political upheaval. As emergency workers continue assessing damage, authorities warn that aftershocks remain possible.
