DHAKA: A low-magnitude tremor hit Bangladesh, the national metrological service said, a day after a powerful earthquake struck outside the capital Dhaka and killed at least 10 people. Updating earlier tolls from Friday’s 5.5-magnitude quake, disaster management official Ishtiaqe Ahmed said that “the number of casualties has reached 10, while a few hundred were injured”.
The first earthquake was felt in Dhaka and neighbouring districts, causing widespread destruction. Toriful Newaz Kabir of the Bangladesh Meterological Department said Saturday’s 3.3 magnitude jolt was recorded in the town of Palash, Narsingdi district, 29 kilometres from Dhaka. The met office had earlier said its epicentre was in Ashulia, just north of the capital. “There was a mistake while analysing the data,” Kabir said, adding they had revised the epicentre location.
Aftershocks are common after major earthquakes, but for some in Bangladesh it has added to fears of an even greater disaster. The government has activated Bangladesh’s emergency operation centre to assess the scale of the damage and to coordinate relief and rescue operations. — AFP
