Security guard struck by falling railing during quake dies in Dhaka

He was on the upper floors of the same building and rushing downstairs

A security guard has died in Dhaka’s Mugda after a railing from the roof of an under-construction building collapsed during the earthquake.

The guard, identified with a single name Maksud, was critically injured when the 5.7 magnitude earthquake struck on Friday.

He was taken to Mugda General Hospital, where doctors declared him dead, Mugda Police Inspector Md Asaduzzaman said.

The 50-year-old was stationed at an under-construction building on Mugda WASA Road.

He was on the upper floors when the quake hit and rushed downstairs in fear, the inspector said.

Witnesses said the roof railing of the building collapsed and fell onto a neighbouring structure, from where it struck Maksud on the head.

His body was sent from Mugda General Hospital to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for post-mortem examination, Asaduzzaman said.

According to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department, the earthquake struck at 10:38am on Friday, with its epicentre between Narsingdi Sadar and Palash Upazilas. It measured 5.7 on the Richter scale.

The quake, one of the deadliest in recent decades, killed five people in Dhaka, four in Narsingdi and one in Narayanganj.