At least four people died and several hundred others were injured in Bangladesh as a powerful earthquake struck Nepal and sent in shocks and aftershocks through the region Saturday.
Measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale at its origin, the quake left nearly a thousand people dead in the Himalayan nation, Nepal, while many more were feared trapped under rubble, newswire reports said.
It sent shocks across the region, with further loss of life in India, Bangladesh and Tibet and on Mount Everest.
Bangladesh capital Dhaka and many parts of the country felt shocks of up to a 7.5 magnitude around 12:11pm.
At least four women died in Dhaka, Bogra, Tangail and Pabna districts while several hundred others were injured across the country in different incidents, including scrambles for safety out of panic.
The deceased were identified as Jahida Aktar, 19, wife of Selim Uddin, Parina Begum, 25, wife of Sukur Uddin of Saidpur village in Mirzapur Upazila of Tangail, Morsheda Begum, 55, wife of Boyes Uddin of Dupchachia Upazila of Bogra, and Rokeya Khanam Eti, 60, wife of Pabna municipal Awami League president Sohrab Hossain.
"Jahida Aktar instantly died while she jumped off the 5th floor of Dhaka Medical College Hospital being panicked," says a firsthand account of the incident.
She was under treatment in DMCH, Sub-Inspector of the hospital police camp Mozammel told the FE.
Rokeya Khanam Eti and Parina Begum both died on way to hospital as they fell down and had cardiac arrest while moving out of their homes hurriedly.
Morsheda Begum died in local hospital of Dupchahciya at around 2.0pm. She was taken to the hospital with grave injuries after being trapped under a mud-wall.
On-duty meteorologist at Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) Abul Kalam Mallik told The Financial Express that they had recorded the earthquake 7.5 on the Richter scale and categorised it as major one.
A second wave of earthquake, which hit around 12.50pm, measured 5.4 on the quake scale.
However, the quake measured 7.9 in the US Geological Survey, according to their website.
Asked, Mr Mallik said they do not have any mechanism to measure intensity of the tremor that was felt in the country.
But Prof Jamilur Reza Chowdhury, former president of the Earthquake Society, told the local media that the magnitude of the earthquake in Bangladesh was around 4.0.
Several buildings in the capital and other parts of the country tilted or developed cracks under the shockwaves.
Cracks appeared in four buildings in old Dhaka, Tejgaon and Shewrapara of the capital, administrative building of Islamic University and general hospital in Kushtia, two others in Natore and a 10-storey building in Feni.
Five buildings in Rajshahi city-three in Sagarpara, Malopara and Kadirganj-and two in Borobazar and Rupsha of Khulna city caved in under the impact of the tremor.
In Comilla, at least 58 female garment workers were injured in EPZ area in the city as they scrambled to come out of the four-storey building of 'Kadena Sports Wear Ltd' during the tremor, director of the factory M Abdul Majed said.
They were taken to Comilla Medical College Hospital.
In Savar, over 100 garment workers were hurt in a stampede that took place in the multi-storey building of 'Al-Muslim Group' at Karnapara as they were rushing towards the exit door during the quake.
The injured people were taken to Savar Upazila Health Complex and Enam Medical College Hospital nearby.
Besides, over 60 other panic-stricken people were injured in Narayanganj, Chapainawabganj, Brahmanbaria and Rajshahi.
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Quake leaves 4 dead, hundreds hurt in BD
FE Report | Published: April 26, 2015 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00
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