What lasted only a few seconds has left five families shattered across Narsingdi. The earthquake that struck at 10:38am on Friday—its epicentre situated in Madhabdi—claimed five lives through a chain of tragic and unforeseen events.
In Gabtali, Delwar Hossain had been rushing out of his house with his children when the shaking began. But fate was cruel. Construction debris from a nearby multi-storey building broke loose and landed on his small home, causing the roof to collapse. Delwar, his son Omar and daughter Tasfia were crushed beneath the falling rubble. Despite frantic efforts to save them, nine-year-old Omar died en route to Dhaka, while Delwar passed away hours later in hospital. Tasfia remains under treatment.
In Palash, 65-year-old Nasir Uddin had been speaking casually with family members when the tremor startled him. The violent motion unsettled him, and moments after the shaking stopped, he clutched his chest and collapsed. Doctors believe the quake-induced shock triggered a fatal cardiac arrest.
Elsewhere in Malita, 75-year-old Kajom Ali was inside his mud house with his grandchildren. The children managed to run out as the building swayed, but Kajom Ali couldn’t escape. A wall gave way, burying him under earth and clay. He died on the way to hospital.
Shibpur saw yet another tragedy: Forkan Mia, 35, was atop a tree when the tremor struck. The sudden jolt threw him to the ground. Despite medical attention, he died in the evening.
With the tremor’s intensity reported between 5.5 and 5.7 on the Richter scale, experts warn that poorly constructed rural homes, ageing structures, and a lack of earthquake awareness continue to place communities at severe risk. For the families of Narsingdi, however, the warning has come too late.