The strongest earthquake in the country in the past 30 years struck today, with its epicenter located in Madhabdi, Narsingdi. According to Rubayet Kabir, acting officer at the Earthquake Research Centre, the amount of energy released by today’s quake was comparable to that of a single bomb dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Meanwhile, Professor Muhammad Yunus, adviser to the interim government, stated that the overall situation in the country is being closely monitored. All relevant agencies have been instructed to immediately begin field assessments to determine the extent of possible damage.
Earlier, at 10:39 AM, a powerful tremor was felt in Dhaka and various parts of the country, prompting thousands of people to rush out of their homes in panic.
So far, four deaths have been confirmed nationwide as a result of the earthquake. The duty officer at Bangshal Police Station reported that three pedestrians were killed in Kasaituli when a railing collapsed from a five-storey building. Their bodies have been taken to Sir Salimullah Medical College Hospital (Mitford).
In another incident, a newborn named Fatema died when a wall collapsed during the tremor in Rupganj, Narayanganj. The infant’s mother, Kulsum Begum, and neighbour Jasmin Begum were injured.
The tremor was not limited to Bangladeshmild shaking was also felt in Kolkata and surrounding areas in India’s West Bengal.
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