Three dead, hundred injured as panic, fear grip Bangladeshis in predawn earthquake

by Naim-Ul-Karim
DHAKA, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) — At least three people died in Bangladesh as Monday’s predawn massive earthquake in India, measuring 6.7 magnitude on the Richter scale, shook the country, rattling nerves and causing panic.
A youth died due to heart attack in Dhaka and another person succumbed to his injuries sustained while rushing out from his home in Rajshahi district, some 256 km west of capital Dhaka.
An old man also died of heart attack in Lalmonirhat district, some 343 km northwest of the capital city.
Some 100 people have also reportedly been injured in Dhaka and elsewhere in the country as they rushed out of their residences for safety in panic.
People living in the upper portions of the tall buildings were severely appalled while many of them sustained minor injuries in the race to reach down stairs for their safety.
Panic gripped people, who took to the streets and stayed there for long time being afraid of any possible aftershock, were seen reciting versus of the Holy Quran and different prayers loudly.
Some of them started Azan (call for prayer) to seek God’s mercy.
Mizanur Rahman, director of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital, told journalists that at least 40 persons have been rushed for primary treatment in the hospital.
He said several of them injured from jumping from upper floors.
Dozens of Dhaka University students were also injured while evacuating their halls hurriedly during the earthquake.
The predawn quake, measuring 6.7 on the Richter Scale, hit India’s northeastern state of Manipur, leaving at least six people dead and more than 100 others injured in the country.
It rolled across Dhaka, rattling nerves and shaking buildings.
However, police and fire officials said there had been no immediate reports of big damage.
Although no major building collapsed in Dhaka and elsewhere in the country yet the powerful earthquake caused reportedly cracks and tilting of some all buildings.
A meteorologist of the Bangladesh Meteorological Department told Xinhua that the earthquake, with its epicenter some 352 km to the east-northeast of Dhaka, struck almost the entire country at about 5:05 in the morning.
Thousands of people in Dhaka and many other parts panicked and rushed outdoors following the jolts which lasted for seconds.
Abdur Rahim, a resident of Dhaka, described the jolt as a big crash that shook his house.
Bangladesh, which sits on the zone of earthquake, is prone to tremors and experts have predicted a major earthquake in the near future.
The Earthquake Disaster Risk Index of Stanford University ranks Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka among the 20 cities most vulnerable to earthquakes in the world.  Enditem