Earthquake strikes Bangladesh capital Dhaka, several other areas, 10 die, over 450 injured; tremors felt in Kolkata
Ten people have died and over 450 have been injured in an earthquake that struck Bangladesh's capital, Dhaka, and several other areas around 10:30 a.m. on Friday, damaging buildings, causing fires at several places and sending panic among residents.. The earthquake had a magnitude of 5.7.
The epicenter was in Narsingdi district, about 30 kilometers from Dhaka. Four people have died in Dhaka, five in Narsingdi, and one in Narayanganj. Narsingdi is famous for its textile craft and garment industry.
Nitai Chandra Dey Sarkar of Bangladesh's Disaster Management Department told that over 450 people have been injured in the earthquake. In Narsingdi, the earthquake caused cracks in over 100 buildings, while in Dhaka, 14 buildings were damaged.
A Dhaka resident said a massive shake started occurring without any warning as the earthquake took hold. He said his chair and the table started shaking wildly, and he was stuck there 10-15 seconds without understanding what was going on.
“I never felt anything like this in my whole life … I felt like riding on a boat, riding massive waves one after another,” he added.
Tremors felt in Kolkata
The tremors were felt as far away as in Kolkata, more than 325km from the epicentre. No casualties have been reported there.