Satkhira shaken by two earthquakes within 24 days

A 5.4 magnitude earthquake was felt in Satkhira and several other parts of the country yesterday. The tremor struck at 1:52pm, with its epicentre in Anulia under Assasuni upazila of Satkhira.

According to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD), such a high magnitude earthquake has never been recorded in the district's documented history.

Cracks and partial collapses were reported in educational institutions, mosques and houses in different parts of the district.

Meanwhile, three people injured in the panic during the earthquake received treatment at Shyamnagar Upazila Health Complex.

Dr Sakir Hossain of the emergency department at Shyamnagar Upazila Health Complex said three people injured in panic during the earthquake were treated at the hospital. Among them, an elderly woman has been admitted, while the other two returned home after receiving primary treatment.

In Alipur village, the tiled roof of an earthen house belonging to local resident Islam Sardar collapsed.

"I had returned from prayers and was inside the house. Suddenly everything started shaking and people began running. My house collapsed due to the earthquake. Panic spread in the area," Islam Sardar said.

"In my lifetime, I have never felt such a strong earthquake. We were all at prayers. It felt like the house was swaying. It seems Allah saved us this time," said Jewel Sardar, a 65-year-old resident.

As the earthquake struck, panic spread across the area. People came out of their homes and gathered on the roads. At the time of the tremor, many worshippers were inside mosques. In some mosques, prayers had just ended, while in others prayers were about to begin when the quake hit. Its impact was felt in several other districts.

Zulfikar Ali, officer-in-charge of the Satkhira Meteorological Office, said, "Such a high magnitude earthquake had never been recorded in Satkhira before. The highest previous magnitude recorded in the district was 3.1 on 3 February, with its epicentre in Kalaroa upazila. At that time, no damage was reported."

He further added, "The earthquake measured 5.4 in magnitude, with its epicentre in Assasuni upazila. Seismic activity has been recorded across Bangladesh using modern instruments for the past 20 years, and no earthquake of such magnitude has been recorded in Satkhira during that period. There is no known record of a stronger quake in the district before that either."

SM Touhiduzzaman, a member of the Satkhira Conscious Citizens Committee, said, "Such a high magnitude earthquake had never occurred in this coastal district before. As its epicentre was in Assasuni, a coastal upazila, many people are unaware of proper safety measures during earthquakes."

He said two earthquakes within 24 days in the same district could indicate the risk of greater damage and stressed that government awareness initiatives are urgently needed.

Satkhira Deputy Commissioner Afroza Akter said, "Assasuni, Kaliganj and Shyamnagar upazilas have reported comparatively higher damage from the earthquake. Cracks and partial collapses have been reported in various educational institutions, mosques and houses. Upazila Nirbahi Officers are collecting information from the field."

"After receiving the overall data from across the district today (Saturday), the damage report will be sent to the ministry. So far, we have not received specific consolidated information. We have received some scattered reports," she added.