3 pedestrians crushed to death as building railing collapses in Old Dhaka during morning quake

Three pedestrians were killed in Old Dhaka's Kasaituli area today (21 November) after a railing from a five-storey building fell onto the street.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Lalbagh Division Deputy Commissioner Mallik Ahsan Uddin Sami confirmed the incident.

"We have been informed by the fire service and civil defense rescue team that at least 3 have been killed after a railling, bamboo scfolding and debris fell on the bystanders from a five-storied building at Armanitola's Kosaituli. Another one is in critical condition," he said.

Photo: Collected

"After the earthquake hit, a mobile network tower located on the roof of a building fell on another building. The tower landed on the balconies of the building and caused the fall of the debris on some locals, leading to the casualties," said Imran Hossain, a local who lives nearby.

He said there was a crowd at that spot because of a meat shop that usually offers discounts on Fridays.

Police later confirmed that one of the victims was Rafiu l Islam, a student of the 52nd batch of Sir Salimullah Medical College. 

Earlier this morning, Rafi had gone to the market with his mother to buy meat. They were standing in front of Noyon's meat shop in Kasaituli when the earthquake struck. The violent shaking caused the railing of the adjacent building to break loose and fall on them.

Local residents rushed forward and took them to the hospital, where doctors declared Rafi dead. Video footage and photographs from the scene show severe injuries to his head and face.

Rafi's mother was taken straight into the operation theatre for emergency surgery. Hospital sources said she is unaware of her son's death and has been repeatedly asking about him.

The identities of the other deceased could not be immediately confirmed. All victims were taken to the hospital after being recovered from the scene.

Banshal Police Station Duty Officer Ashish Kumar Ghosh said, "Three pedestrians were killed after the building's railing collapsed during the earthquake. Our team is on the ground. The bodies have been taken to hospital, but we have not been able to identify the others yet."

The collapse occurred shortly after a 5.7-magnitude earthquake jolted the country this morning (21 November), according to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD).

The quake struck at 10:38am, with its epicentre in Madhabdi, Narsingdi, around 13km east of the seismic centre in Agargaon, Dhaka.

However, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) measured the tremor at 5.5 on the Richter scale, placing the epicentre 14km west-southwest of Narsingdi.

Many residents across Dhaka rushed out of their homes in panic as the ground shook for several seconds.

Reports of minor cracks in buildings have also emerged from various neighbourhoods following the tremor.