Quake jolts country

At least seven people died and more than 100 were injured while fleeing from their homes as earthquake jolted Bangladesh at dawn on Monday.
The casualties were reported from the capital, Panchagarh, Lalmonirhat, Rajshahi, Bogra, Sirajganj and Jamalpur.
The earthquake was felt at about 5:05am, when dozens of people across the country were reportedly injured as
they rushed to the streets or open places in panic. Residents of a building in Old Dhaka were evacuated as it tilted.
People woke up at the dawn with a heavy jolt caused by the 6.7 magnitude earthquake that hit India’s north-eastern state of Manipur, according to the US Geological Survey.
Bangladesh Meteorological Department meteorologist Zaker Hossain said that the distance of epicentre of the ‘strong’ tremor measuring 6.6 was 353km northeast of its seismic centre at Agargaon in Dhaka.
It was the first tremor in Bangladesh in the New Year.
Residents in the capital screamed and took shelter under their beds or tables, and many rushed out of houses in panic as there were reports of shaking of buildings.
One of such people, Atikur Rahman, 23, of Jurain, who were fleeing from his house during the earthquake, died of cardiac arrest, said Dhaka Medical College Hospital police outpost sub-inspector Mojammel Hoque quoting doctors.
Emergency medical officer at the hospital declared Atikur dead at about 5:45am.
At least 42 injured took treatment at the hospital till 10:30am after the tremor hit the capital, said director of the hospital Mizanur Rahman, adding that 40 of them left hospital after treatment.

A wall of under-construction Kaniz Plaza collapses on a tin-shed house at Zindabazar in Sylhet because of the earthquake that hit the country early Monday. — Focusbangla photo

The rest two – police constable Sohan and Dhaka University student Iqbal Hossain, 27, – were undergoing treatment there, Mizanur said.
Sohan jumped from the barrack while Iqbal jumped from his dormitory.
At least 16 Dhaka University students were injured when they rushed out of, or jumped from, the halls.
A six-storied building tilted at Mazed Sardar Lane and cracks developed in a building at Shankharibazar in Old Dhaka during the earthquake. Fire Service said that the residents of the tilted building were evacuated.
In Rajshahi, Khalilur Rahman, 65, chef of Bangabandhu Hall at Rajshahi University, died from panic attack at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital.
Provost of the hall Asraf-uz-Zaman, referring to doctors, said that Khalil suffered a cardiac arrest while fleeing from his house during the earthquake.
In Panchagarh, Tahmina Begum, 55, of Purba Kalashi in the town fainted during the tremor and she was declared dead at the Sadar Hospital in the morning, said district civil surgeon Ahad Ali.
Shopkeeper Kadu Miah, 60, of Patgram upazila in Lalmonirhat died of a cardiac arrest apparently caused by panic created by the jolt, Patgram police officer-in-charge Rezaul Karim said, referring to doctors.
In Sirajganj, Belkuchi municipal mayor-elect Ashanur Biswas said that Abul Kashem, 40, a resident of the Boura village, died from panic while five others of the village were injured.
In Jamapur, resident of Islampur upazila Sona Miah, 38, fainted during the earthquake and died at his father-in-law’s house, said the family.
Sona’s elder brother Mrinal Sheikh said that Sona was asleep at his in-laws’ house at Jangalia village and he woke up hurriedly and fainted in panic.
A 50 year old farmer Ahmed Ali of Nandigram in Bogra also fainted during the tremor and died, said his son Osman Ali.
Locals in the districts said that people rushed to roads and open spaces feeling jolts of the ground ignoring cool weather at early morning and special prayers were offered at different mosques after Fazr prayers.
At least 50 people were injured in Sylhet while rushing out of the houses during the tremor.
Four members of a family were injured seriously as a wall of 8th floor of a 10-storey commercial building collapsed on their house roofed with corrugated iron sheets at Zindabazar in the city during the earthquake.
Sylhet Osmani Medical College Hospital duty doctor Debashish Sinha said that at least 30 people were admitted to the hospital with injuries they sustained during the tremor.

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