Dhaka’s 5.7 quake warrants immediate check of its 2.1mn buildings: BUET’s Ansary

An earthquake measuring 7 on Richter scale could multiply damage and claim more lives, he says

The 5.7 magnitude earthquake that rattled Bangladesh on Friday should serve as a wake-up call for authorities to brace for an even stronger quake in future, says Mehedi Ahmed Ansary, who teaches civil engineering at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET).

“Buildings need to be checked right away. Dhaka’s buildings, in particular, need immediate attention,” he said, drawing attention to potential damage that a powerful earthquake could unleash in the densely populated capital, where building codes are often ignored in construction.

“The government need not spend money in implementing this. RAJUK will certify which buildings followed construction codes,” he said.

A 5.7 magnitude earthquake struck Bangladesh at 10:38am on Friday. The quake, which lasted for 26 seconds originated at Madhabdi in Narshingdi. Panic gripped the entirety of Bangladesh, which has not registered a quake of this power in living memory, following the jolt.

People streamed out onto the streets, many waking from their sleep on the weekend morning. Many came down in sleeping clothes, without shoes, and, in some cases, without their cell phones.

Reports of buildings tilting and developing cracks have come in from all over Bangladesh.

Three people died in Dhaka after the quake caused a house railing to collapse. Two others were died after being crushed under walls in Narayanganj and Narsingdi. Many others were injured.

Chunks of plaster littered streets in places where the shocks were felt more strongly.

“Today’s earthquake could be defined as a foreshock. Which implies the main shock is yet to arrive. Foreshocks precede larger ones,” Ansary said.

Pointing to a 1897 earthquake, which measured 8.1 on the Richter scale, he said: “Such earthquakes recur every 250 to 300 years. We have not experienced a major quake since 1930. But research indicates there are risks of large earthquakes.”

Referring to reports of cracks that appeared in buildings across Dhaka, the expert said this type of damage was common after seismic activity.

"Dhaka has nearly 2.1 million houses. About 1.5 million houses are either one- or two-storey houses. About 600,000 buildings rise to four and six storeys. There are also buildings rising up to 10, 20 storeys, and higher.”

Ansary recalled the 2013 Rana Plaza collapse to highlight the devastation that the collapse of a building could wreak. Dealing with such a disaster, he said, requires preparations, which need to be initiated without any delay.

The Friday tremor came as a warning to showcase the sorry state of Dhaka buildings, according to him.

“The damage that the 5.7 magnitude earthquake inflicted on Dhaka buildings and infrastructure would multiply if an earthquake measuring 7 on the Richter scale hits,” said Ansary.

Casualties could reach between 200,000-300,000 if such a powerful quake, with its epicentre within 100 km of Dhaka, strikes, he warned.

“About 35 percent or a third of Dhaka’s infrastructure might be destroyed,” said Ansary.

He urged authorities to immediately identify weak buildings and bring them under repair initiatives.