Aftershock Strikes Bangladesh as Death Toll From Earlier Quake Climbs to 10

A minor earthquake shook Bangladesh on Saturday, according to the national meteorological service, coming just one day after a stronger tremor near Dhaka left at least 10 people dead.

Disaster management official Ishtiaqe Ahmed confirmed to AFP that updated figures from Friday’s 5.5-magnitude earthquake showed “the number of casualties has reached 10, while a few hundreds were injured.”

Friday’s quake was felt across Dhaka and nearby districts, damaging numerous buildings.

Meteorologist Omar Faruq of the Bangladesh Meteorological Department said another small tremor was detected on Saturday at 10:36 am (0436 GMT). He explained that the 3.3-magnitude aftershock had its epicentre in Ashulia, just north of the capital.

Aftershocks are common following significant earthquakes, but many residents remain anxious.

“I don’t feel safe yet, as there was another jolt this morning in Ashulia. Maybe we are next,” said Shahnaj Parvin, 44, who lives close to the epicentre. She told AFP she had never felt a tremor as strong as Friday’s, adding that cracks had appeared in many homes in her neighbourhood.

“I was hanging my children’s clothes on the washing line when the tremor struck,” she said. “I held onto a mahogany tree, and when I returned home, I found my glassware broken.”

Authorities have activated Bangladesh’s emergency operation centre to evaluate the damage and coordinate rescue and relief efforts.

Rubayet Kabir from the Meteorological Department’s Earthquake Observation and Research Center noted that Bangladesh’s location makes it susceptible to seismic activity. “That’s why we experience earthquakes quite frequently, though they are not as strong as the one” on Friday, he said. “Some small tremors are expected after any major earthquake.”

Kabir added that while Bangladesh has not faced a large-scale earthquake in more than a century, “Bangladesh has been vulnerable for quite some time.”

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