Earthquake: Satkhira resident says building ‘swayed like a tree branch’

Mrityunjoy Roy, a resident of Satkhira Sadar upazila, has described his frightening experience during the earthquake that was felt in different parts of the country including Dhaka at 1:52:29 pm today, Friday.

According to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD), the epicentre of the earthquake was in Ashashuni Upazila of Satkhira. The earthquake measured 5.4 on the Richter scale and was of moderate intensity.

Speaking to Prothom Alo over the phone, Mrityunjoy Roy, who is a journalist by profession, said he was lying on his bed when the quake struck. Suddenly, he felt the entire bed shaking.

“I wondered what was happening. Then I rushed outside shouting,” he said.

Mrityunjoy added that it felt as though the five-storey building was swaying from side to side. The strong tremor made it seem as if the building was moving the way tree branches sway back and forth during a storm.

According to a report by media outlet Anandabazar Online, tremors were also felt in Kolkata and other districts of West Bengal in India, where the magnitude was recorded at 5 on the Richter scale.