Earthquake death toll rises to 9 including 5 in Narsingdi, 665 injured

The death toll from the 5.7-magnitude earthquake has risen to nine, with five fatalities reported in Narsingdi, including a father and son and four more deaths in Dhaka and Narayanganj. So far, 665 people have been reported injured. According to the Meteorological Office, the earthquake originated at 10:38am on Friday, November 21, between Madhabdi and Ghorashal in Narsingdi Sadar Upazila.

In Narsingdi, Delwar Hossain, 37, and his son Omar Faruk, 8, were killed after bricks fell from a roof, along with Kazem Ali Bhuiyan, 70, Nasir Uddin, 50, and Furkan Mia, 42. Although Delwar and his son were residents of Uttarpara village in Pakundia, Kishoreganj, they lived in rented accommodation in Gabtoli, Narsingdi. Kazem Ali was from Palash Upazila, and Furkan Mia was from Shibpur Upazila.

Eyewitnesses said houses shook violently during the quake, prompting residents to flee outside in panic. During the roughly 26-second tremor, bricks from the roof of a seven-storey building under construction in Gabtoli, Narsingdi Sadar, fell and injured Delwar, his son Omar, and another man. Delwar and Omar were taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where they died.

In Malita village of Palash Upazila, Kazem Ali Bhuiyan died after being trapped under the rubble of a collapsed mud house. In the same upazila’s Danga village, Nasir Uddin, 50, and in Ajkitola village of Shibpur Upazila, Furkan Mia, 42, fell from trees during the quake and sustained serious injuries. Furkan died on the way to Dhaka Medical after being treated initially at Narsingdi Sadar Hospital.

Shibpur Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Moushumi Farzana Yasmin confirmed the incidents. According to the emergency departments of Narsingdi Sadar Hospital and the District Hospital, more than 150 injured people received treatment. Fifty-seven remain admitted at Sadar Hospital and 13 at the District Hospital. Damage has been reported from nearly all upazilas of the district.

Severely injured individuals include: Taspiya, 18, Shamim, 20, Rakib, 24, Atikur, 7, Omar, 10, Saiful, 36, Meherun, 20, Abir, 6, Nasrin, 37, Yamin, 22, Mithila, 20, Tamim, 6, Hanufa, 40, Billal, 50, Zakir, 35, Mannan, 16, Imanul, 19, Hira, 5, Madhabi, 50, Rabbi, 20, Saidur Rahman, 10, Halima, 45, Delwar, 45, Bindu, 28, Shamim, 35, Suravi, 20, Jihad, 16, Sathi, 22, Sohel, 22, Mina, 18, Shahadat, 35, Rafiq, 3 months, Sumaiya, 20, among others.

The district administration reported cracks in many buildings across Narsingdi town. In New Bazar village of Ghorashal Municipality in Palash Upazila, the house of Ishaq Mia collapsed and suffered extensive damage. A fire broke out at the substation of the Ghorashal Thermal Power Plant due to the quake, burning components at the national grid substation and halting electricity production.

Several buildings in the Ghorashal power plant area also developed cracks, and various pieces of machinery were damaged. Cracks were also found on the old railway bridge over the Shitalakkhya River.

Md Abdus Shahid, Senior Station Officer of Palash Fire Service, said two units brought the blaze under control after about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, Khairul Kabir Khokon, BNP Joint Secretary General and President of Narsingdi District BNP, and Md Menhajul Alam, Superintendent of Police (SP) of Narsingdi, visited the affected areas and hospitals to speak with the injured.

SP Menhajul Alam said injuries had been reported from various parts of the district and that police were prepared to assist residents in any disaster.

Dr Syed Amirul Haque Shamim, Civil Surgeon of Narsingdi, confirmed five deaths and said around 55 people were injured to varying degrees. They were treated at Narsingdi District Hospital and other facilities. Abu Taher Mohammad Samsuzzaman, Additional Deputy Commissioner (General), confirmed four deaths but said he was not formally aware of Delwar Hossain’s death, though he had heard the patient had been in ICU.

3 deaths in Old Dhaka
Three people died in Bangshal, Old Dhaka. They were Rafiul Islam, 20, Abdul Rahim, 48, and his son Abdul Aziz Rimon, 12. Family members said Rafiul Islam was a student at Sir Salimullah Medical College (Mitford). Abdul Rahim, originally from Chandraganj in Laxmipur, lived in rented accommodation in Suritola, Bangshal.

Child dies in Narayanganj
In Rupganj, Narayanganj, a 10-month-old girl, Fatema, died when a wall collapsed during the quake. Her mother, Kulsum Begum, and another person were injured. The incident occurred at 10:38am in Canal No. 5 of Islambagh under Golakandail Union.