Strong quake jolts Bangladesh

5 killed, over 100 hurt as panic grips country for 6.7 tremor epicentred at Manipur

At least five people were killed and over a hundred injured as panic gripped people across Bangladesh due to a predawn earthquake of 6.7 on the Richter scale yesterday that struck Imphal of Manipur along the Indian borders with Myanmar and Bangladesh and just 253km north-east of Dhaka.
The strong quake that struck at 5:07 (BST) claimed at least nine lives and sent scores others to hospital in the north-Indian state.
The Bangladesh casualties happened as frightened people scrambled to get out of their buildings, particularly high-rises, after being awakened by the strong tremor.
Screams of panicky people, mostly women and children, and prayers seeking divine intervention broke the dawn quiet on a chilly morning. A few buildings developed cracks. A gas main in Baipal, Ashulia, the hub of garment factories in the northern suburb of Dhaka, developed cracks and caught fire from the tremor that lasted an estimated 40 seconds.
Among the dead was a woman named Tahmina Begum, who died of shock in Panchagarh. In Dhaka, a 23-year-old student, Atiqur Rahman, died of shock-related heart failure at Jurain, where a multi-storied building had tilted on its side. Khalilur Rahman, 30, an employee of the students’ dining hall at Rajshahi University, Nurul Islam, a UP member of Patgram,  Lalmonirhat, and Sona Mia, an employee of a clothing store at Melandah in Jamalpur, were among the dead. In the capital, 32 people were injured, mostly students of Dhaka University (DU); some of them were badly hurt when they tried to jump down from their hostels on the campus.
Some students even jumped from the third floors of buildings, most of which had been built in the 1920s and mid-1960s, witnesses and hospital sources said.
The injured were rushed to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), where hospital sources disclosed that at least four persons were critical.
At least 18 DU students were injured when panic gripped the residential area after the quake hit it.
Panicky students of different halls of the university suffered injuries when they rushed out of the buildings in a hurry and jumped down from the rooftops during the quake, which struck at 5:05am yesterday. The injured were immediately admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
Among the injured, a student of Sergeant Zahurul Haq Hall, Shoeb Mohammad Salman, is in a critical condition. He jumped from the five-storey building. Two other students, Iqbal and Arfat, were also injured.
Besides, two students from Jasim Uddin Hall, one from Zia Hall, two from Surya Sen Hall, two from Bangabandhu Hall, three from Ekushe Hall, one from Mohsin Hall and three from Sahidullah Hall sustained injuries.
Some other students suffered minor injuries, said DU proctor, Prof. M Amzad Ali. He said both the DMCH and DU medical centres have been asked to provide intensive medical care to the injured students.
A number of injuries was also reported from Sylhet, a city that is very close to Manipur. A shopping mall tilted, causing the wall of an adjacent building to collapse.
The predawn jolt led to cracks in a number of buildings in the old quarters of Dhaka; a six-storey building tilted, sparking panic among its residents. Many suffered injuries when they tried to scramble down its narrow stairs.
Even though the tremor measured 6.7 on the Richter scale at one of the world’s most sophisticated observatories, the earthquake observatory at the Agargaon headquarters of the Bangladesh Meteorological Department recorded it at 6.6 on the Richter scale.
Yesterday’s tremor was the third severe jolt, following the recent deadly earthquakes in Nepal and Sumatra, which were felt widely across Bangladesh. Relief and disaster management minister Mofazzal Hossain Maya, Bir Bikram, MP, said at least three people of heart attack and panic, and over 100 others were injured across the country.
The minister has directed all the district, upazila, city corporation and pourashava disaster management committees to hold meetings at the earliest and send in reports of damage and destruction. Adequate equipment has been procured to face disasters such as earthquakes, the minister said. He was speaking after a meeting on ‘Earthquake Damage and Preparation’ at his office in the Secretariat yesterday.
Disaster and relief secretary Md Shah Kamal, director general of the Disaster Management Directorate, Riaj Uddin, and others were present at the meeting.

 

 

Strong quake jolts Bangladesh

5 killed, over 100 hurt as panic grips country for 6.7 tremor epicentred at Manipur

At least five people were killed and over a hundred injured as panic gripped people across Bangladesh due to a predawn earthquake of 6.7 on the Richter scale yesterday that struck Imphal of Manipur along the Indian borders with Myanmar and Bangladesh and just 253km north-east of Dhaka. The strong quake that struck at 5:07 (BST) claimed at least nine lives and sent scores others to hospital in the north-Indian state. The Bangladesh casualties happened as frightened people scrambled to get out of their buildings, particularly high-rises, after being awakened by the strong tremor. Screams of panicky people, mostly women and children, and prayers seeking divine intervention broke the dawn quiet on a chilly morning. A few buildings developed cracks. A gas main in Baipal, Ashulia, the hub of garment factories in the northern suburb of Dhaka, developed cracks and caught fire from the tremor that lasted an estimated 40 seconds. Among the dead was a woman named Tahmina Begum, who died of shock in Panchagarh. In Dhaka, a 23-year-old student, Atiqur Rahman, died of shock-related heart failure at Jurain, where a multi-storied building had tilted on its side. Khalilur Rahman, 30, an employee of the students dining hall at Rajshahi University, Nurul Islam, a UP member of Patgram, Lalmonirhat, and Sona Mia, an employee of a clothing store at Melandah in Jamalpur, were among the dead. In the capital, 32 people were injured, mostly students of Dhaka University (DU); some of them were badly hurt when they tried to jump down from their hostels on the campus. Some students even jumped from the third floors of buildings, most of which had been built in the 1920s and mid-1960s, witnesses and hospital sources said. The injured were rushed to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), where hospital sources disclosed that at least four persons were critical. At least 18 DU students were injured when panic gripped the residential area after the quake hit it. Panicky students of different halls of the university suffered injuries when they rushed out of the buildings in a hurry and jumped down from the rooftops during the quake, which struck at 5:05am yesterday. The injured were immediately admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Among the injured, a student of Sergeant Zahurul Haq Hall, Shoeb Mohammad Salman, is in a critical condition. He jumped from the five-storey building. Two other students, Iqbal and Arfat, were also injured. Besides, two students from Jasim Uddin Hall, one from Zia Hall, two from Surya Sen Hall, two from Bangabandhu Hall, three from Ekushe Hall, one from Mohsin Hall and three from Sahidullah Hall sustained injuries. Some other students suffered minor injuries, said DU proctor, Prof. M Amzad Ali. He said both the DMCH and DU medical centres have been asked to provide intensive medical care to the injured students. A number of injuries was also reported from Sylhet, a city that is very close to Manipur. A shopping mall tilted, causing the wall of an adjacent building to collapse. The predawn jolt led to cracks in a number of buildings in the old quarters of Dhaka; a six-storey building tilted, sparking panic among its residents. Many suffered injuries when they tried to scramble down its narrow stairs. Even though the tremor measured 6.7 on the Richter scale at one of the worlds most sophisticated observatories, the earthquake observatory at the Agargaon headquarters of the Bangladesh Meteorological Department recorded it at 6.6 on the Richter scale. Yesterdays tremor was the third severe jolt, following the recent deadly earthquakes in Nepal and Sumatra, which were felt widely across Bangladesh. Relief and disaster management minister Mofazzal Hossain Maya, Bir Bikram, MP, said at least three people of heart attack and panic, and over 100 others were injured across the country. The minister has directed all the district, upazila, city corporation and pourashava disaster management committees to hold meetings at the earliest and send in reports of damage and destruction. Adequate equipment has been procured to face disasters such as earthquakes, the minister said. He was speaking after a meeting on Earthquake Damage and Preparation at his office in the Secretariat yesterday. Disaster and relief secretary Md Shah Kamal, director general of the Disaster Management Directorate, Riaj Uddin, and others were present at the meeting.