Bangladesh Earthquake: 3 dead, 10 injured after rooftop railing collapses in Old Dhaka

DHAKA(Bangladesh): At least three people were killed and ten others injured on Friday after a brick-built rooftop railing of an eight-storey building collapsed in Armanitola area of Dhaka after a 5.5-magnitude earthquake jolted several parts of Bangladesh, The Daily Star reported.

According to local reports, a portion of the railing broke off and fell onto a butcher’s stall on the street below, hitting customers and pedestrians passing through the crowded lane.

Assistant Sub-Inspector Zakaria Hossain Nayon said the three seriously injured pedestrians were taken to the hospital but could not be saved. “They were brought in critical condition. Doctors declared them dead on arrival,” he informed the Fire Service.

Sub-Inspector Ashish Kumar of Bangshal Police Station said the collapse took place around the time people felt tremors across the city. “Three pedestrians were critically injured in the collapse. They were rushed to Mitford Hospital, where doctors declared them dead. Police have cordoned off the area, ” he said.

Residents said the narrow stretch was crowded when the wall came crashing down, leaving little time for people to react. Authorities from the Fire Service and police are now assessing the structural safety of the building and surrounding properties, The Daily Star reported.

The injured are undergoing treatment, and officials said further updates will follow after initial inspections are completed.

Dhaka and several parts of Bangladesh experienced strong tremors on Friday morning following a 5.5-magnitude earthquake near Narsingdi, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

The USGS reported that the quake occurred at 10:08 am (IST). Tremors were widely felt in Dhaka around 10:40 am and were also reported in parts of India, including West Bengal and adjoining northeast India. (ANI)