EXPLAINER
Not less than 5 individuals killed in lethal earthquake near the capital metropolis Dhaka on Friday.
Printed On 21 Nov 2025
A robust earthquake shook Bangladesh near the capital metropolis, Dhaka, on Friday, killing a minimum of 5 individuals and injuring many others, the federal government mentioned.
Here’s what we all know thus far.
What occurred?
An earthquake of magnitude 5.5 hit Bangladesh at 10:38am (04:38 GMT), the US Geological Survey (USGS) mentioned. The shaking lasted for 26 seconds.
Dhaka resident Shadman Sakif Islam informed Al Jazeera that “small ripples” he seen in his espresso had been adopted by a “large shake that began occurring with none warning” because the earthquake took maintain.
“My chair and the desk began shaking wildly, and I used to be caught there 10-15 seconds with out processing what was happening,” he added.
“I by no means felt something like this in my complete life … I felt like using on a ship, using large waves one after one other,” he added.
The place in Bangladesh did the earthquake hit?
The tremor was felt close to town of Narsingdi, which is 33km (16 miles) from Dhaka. Many buildings in Dhaka sustained harm from the ensuing quake.
The epicentre was in Narsingdi’s Madhabdi district, based on the Bangladesh Meteorological Division.
The tremors had been felt as far-off as within the neighbouring Indian metropolis of Kolkata, greater than 325km (about 200 miles) from the epicentre. No casualties have been reported there.
Narsingdi is legendary for its textile craft and garment business.
What do we all know in regards to the casualties?
In keeping with authorities figures, a minimum of 5 individuals have been killed and roughly 100 individuals have been injured.
Native media has reported greater dying toll figures, however these haven’t been confirmed.
On Friday, Dhaka-based DBC Tv reported that a minimum of six individuals had died within the capital – three when a constructing roof and wall collapsed and three pedestrians who had been struck by falling railings.
Are earthquakes frequent in Bangladesh?
Earthquakes don’t happen in Bangladesh very steadily, regardless of the nation being near the boundaries of the Indian, Eurasian and Burmese tectonic plates and thus, seismically susceptible.
In 2023, an earthquake of magnitude 5.8 struck close to Sylhet in northeastern Bangladesh, based on the German Analysis Heart for Geosciences (GFZ). There have been no studies of casualties or main harm from the quake.
In 2021, a magnitude-6.1 earthquake hit the border between India and Myanmar. Tremors had been felt in Bangladesh’s Chittagong and Cox’s Bazar. There have been no confirmed deaths in Bangladesh.
Magnitudes are primarily based on a logarithmic scale, that means for every whole-number improve on the dimensions, the magnitude is elevated by an element of 10.
Al Jazeera’s Tanvir Chowdhury, reporting from Dhaka, mentioned, “It was one of many greatest earthquakes in latest historical past and was very near the capital metropolis. All the metropolis was in panic. Social media movies have proven buildings shaking.”
