Bangladesh Earthquake: Death Toll Reaches 10 As Aftershocks Continue to Shake Dhaka Region

The epicenter of the 3.3-magnitude tremor was located in Ashulia, just north of the capital.

Bangladesh:

Bangladesh was struck by a low-magnitude tremor on Saturday, according to the national meteorological service, following a powerful earthquake that hit outside the capital Dhaka on Friday, resulting in at least 10 fatalities.

Disaster management official Ishtiaqe Ahmed provided updated figures to AFP, stating, "the number of casualties has reached 10, while a few hundred were injured" from Friday's 5.5-magnitude earthquake.

The initial earthquake was felt across Dhaka and surrounding districts, causing extensive damage.

Omar Faruq from the Bangladesh Meteorological Department confirmed that another minor tremor was recorded Saturday at 10:36 am (0436 GMT).

The meteorologist informed AFP that the epicenter of the 3.3-magnitude aftershock was in Ashulia, just north of the capital.

While aftershocks commonly follow major earthquakes, this recent activity has heightened fears among Bangladesh residents about potential further disasters.

"I don't feel safe yet, as there was another jolt this morning in Ashulia. Maybe we are next," expressed Shahnaj Parvin.

The 44-year-old resident, who lives near Friday's earthquake epicenter, told AFP she had never experienced such a powerful tremor before.

She reported that dozens of houses in her area have developed cracks.

"I was hanging my children's clothes on the washing line when the tremor struck," Parvin recalled. "I held onto a mahogany tree, and when I returned home, I found my glassware broken."

The government has activated Bangladesh's emergency operation center to evaluate the extent of damage and coordinate relief and rescue efforts.

Rubayet Kabir of the Meteorological Department's Earthquake Observation and Research Centre explained that Bangladesh's geographical position makes the nation of 170 million people susceptible to earthquakes.

"That's why we experience earthquakes quite frequently, though they are not as strong as the one" on Friday, he told AFP.

"Some small tremors are expected after any major earthquake," Kabir added.

"There has been no massive earthquake in the last 100 years or more, but Bangladesh has been vulnerable for quite some time."