At least five killed in Bangladesh earthquake

At least five people, including a young child, have died and more than four hundred fifty others have been injured after a magnitude five point five earthquake struck Bangladesh on Friday. The quake was strong enough to send shockwaves through Dhaka and neighbouring districts, causing widespread panic as residents rushed out of homes, offices, and schools.

The epicentre was near Narsingdi district, around thirty kilometres from the capital. Witnesses described violent shaking that lasted several seconds, enough to damage older structures and trigger collapses in a few crowded neighbourhoods. In Dhaka University, at least ten students were hurt in a stampede as they tried to escape their classrooms during the tremor.

Syeda Rizwana Hasan, the country’s environmental adviser, said Bangladesh had not experienced such a strong quake in at least five years. Many residents echoed that sentiment, noting how suddenly the tremor hit and how quickly buildings began to shake.

In one of the worst affected areas, Armanitola in old Dhaka, three people were killed when a railing and chunks of debris fell from a five storey building. Deputy police commissioner Mallik Ahsan Uddin Sami confirmed the deaths and said emergency teams had been dispatched to check nearby structures for further risks.

According to disaster officials, four hundred sixty one people have been reported injured across the country, with Gazipur district north of Dhaka suffering the highest number of casualties. Nitai Chandra De Sarkar, head of the monitoring division, said authorities are still assessing the full scale of the damage. He noted that while injuries are high, they are not yet facing large scale rescue operations involving collapsed buildings.

Many survivors described frightening moments as the ground shook beneath them. A Dhaka office worker, Sadman Sakib, told Reuters he had never felt anything like it in his thirty years. He and his colleagues ran down the stairs to the street, only to find crowds already gathering outside in alarm. A student named Abdullah said he woke up to find his entire building swaying, leaving him unsure whether it might collapse.

Tremors were also felt in parts of eastern India bordering Bangladesh, though Indian officials reported no major damage or injuries.

The quake even disrupted an international cricket match between Bangladesh and Ireland. Play stopped briefly as coaches, players, and spectators moved to the edges of the ground or took shelter. Ireland head coach Heinrich Malan said the moment brought back memories of quakes he experienced while living in New Zealand. He added that while play resumed quickly, their thoughts were with those affected across the country.

As authorities continue damage assessments, many families remain shaken by the experience, grateful to be safe but worried about the possibility of aftershocks.