At least three people were killed and several injured after a powerful earthquake struck the crowded Bangladeshi capital on Friday.
The 5.7-magnitude quake hit at 10:38 am near the city of Narsingdi, about 16 miles from the capital of Dhaka, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).
City residents were seen weeping in the streets after several rushed out of their homes as buildings swayed and some makeshift structures collapsed.
Dramatic footage showed the moment a live news programme was interrupted after the earthquake struck.
Elsewhere, videos shared on social media showed how cracks were formed in the ground by the powerful tremors and how emergency services rushed to the site of damaged buildings to rescue people trapped in rubble.
Shaking was felt in eastern states in neighbouring India that border Bangladesh.
The USGS warned of potentially ‘significant casualties’ and damage in the Muslim-majority nation of 170 million people.
The rumbling lasted for 26 seconds with its epicentre in Narsingdi’s Madhabdi district, according to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department.
Fire service personnel work at the scene after at least three people are reported dead on the spot when the railing of the rooftop of a five-storey building collapses following an earthquake in the Kosaituli area of Armanitola in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on November 21, 2025
Residents stand in an alley after vacating their house next to a fallen scaffolding following an earthquake in Dhaka, Bangladesh, November 21, 2025
A crowd gathers in front of the scene as at least three people are reported dead on the spot after the railing of the rooftop of a five-storey building collapses following an earthquake in the Kosaituli area of Armanitola in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on November 21, 2025
‘We felt a strong jolt and buildings were shaking like trees,’ said Suman Rahman, a Dhaka resident.
‘Staircases were jammed as people rushed down. Everyone was terrified, children were crying.’
The fire department reported injuries after bricks and loose cement fell from buildings that were under construction.
‘I have never felt such a tremor in my life. We were at the office when furniture started shaking. We rushed down the stairs on the street and saw other people on the road already,’ said Sadman Sakib, who works in a private firm in Dhaka.
Muhammad Yunus, the head of the South Asian country’s interim government, urged people to remain calm as authorities assess the damage.
‘Everyone is urged to remain alert and not pay attention to any kind of rumours or misinformation,’ he said in a statement.
‘Further guidance will be provided through hotlines and official channels if necessary. We remain committed to ensuring the safety of all citizens.’
According to the USGS, though northern and southeastern Bangladesh are seismically active regions due to interactions between the India and Eurasia plates, the country’s central region is less active.
