Today's tremors were aftershocks of yesterday's 5.7 quake: BMD
"Although the magnitude was below 6, the shaking lasted longer because the soil composition in our region is relatively weak," he said
The tremors that occurred today (22 November) were aftershocks of yesterday's powerful 5.7-magnitude earthquake, said Md Momenul Islam, director (current charge) of the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD).
Speaking to The Business Standard this evening, he said, "Typically, aftershocks measure at least one point lower than the main quake. Such aftershocks can occur within 72 hours. People should remain calm and prioritise safety during the tremors."
Explaining why yesterday's quake felt unusually strong, Momenul said, "Although the magnitude was below 6, the shaking lasted longer because the soil composition in our region is relatively weak. In areas with weaker soil, shockwaves tend to persist longer."
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Emphasising Bangladesh's high seismic vulnerability, the expert said the incident serves as a reminder, "Our region is highly earthquake-prone. We must be more cautious in building construction and strictly follow the national building code.
"Open spaces and parks must be preserved, and roads adjacent to buildings should be widened," he added.
Around 6:06pm today, Dhaka experienced two back-to-back earthquakes, occurring just one second apart.
According to the BMD, one had its epicentre in Dhaka's Badda, and the other in Narsingdi. The first tremor, measuring 3.7 on the Richter scale, occurred in Badda at 6:06:04pm, and the second one hit Narsingdi at 6:06:05pm with a magnitude of 4.3."
Earlier in the morning, a 3.3-magnitude tremor shook the Palash upazila of Narsingdi.
The aftershocks followed yesterday's major 5.7-magnitude earthquake, which jolted large parts of the country, damaged buildings in Dhaka and other districts, killed at least 10 people, including a newborn, and injured hundreds.
