Dhaka, Nov 21: At least three people were killed and ten others injured in Bangladesh after a 5.7-magnitude earthquake jolted the capital Dhaka and other parts of the country on Friday.

The casualties occurred when a brick-built railing collapsed from a five-storey building in the Koshaituli area of Armanitola in Dhaka, following the earthquake.

Confirming the incident, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Lalbagh Division Deputy Commissioner Mallik Ahsan Uddin Sami said, "We have been informed by the fire service and civil defence rescue team that at least three people have been killed after a railing, bamboo scaffolding, and debris fell on the bystanders from a five-storey building at Armanitola's Kosaituli. Another one is in critical condition.”

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 the hospital, but we have not been able to identify the others yet."

Reports suggest that the victims were walking along the road when the collapse occurred. Two of the victims died on the spot, while another succumbed to injuries at Mitford Hospital in Dhaka "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," Bangladesh’s leading newspaper, The Business Standard, quoted a local, Imran Hossain, as saying.

Also read: Earthquake In Bangladesh Jolts Kolkata: 5.2 Magnitude Tremors Felt

According to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD), as the local media reported, the earthquake struck in the morning with its epicentre at Madhabdi in Narsingdi district, spreading panic across the area.

As the ground shook for several seconds, many residents across Dhaka rushed out of their homes in panic. Reports of minor cracks in buildings have surfaced from various neighbourhoods in the city following the quake.

The tremors were reportedly experienced across several districts in Bangladesh, including Chandpur, Nilphamari, Sitakunda, Sirajganj, Narayanganj, Patuakhali, Bogura, Barisal, and Moulvibazar.

(IANS)