Attachments
This report was produced by the Inter-cluster Coordination Group in collaboration with cluster coordinators and humanitarian partners, members of the Humanitarian Task Team.
Highlights
• At 10:38 a.m. local time on 21 November, a magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck near Ghorashal in Narasingdi District at a depth of 10 kilometres.
• Casualty reports continue to emerge across multiple districts, with at least eight fatalities confirmed at the time of this report (three in Dhaka, one in Narayangonj and four in Narsingdi).
• A further 507 people have been injured across Dhaka,
Narayanganj, Gazipur and Narasingdi, including people hurt while evacuating buildings in panic.
• Several building collapses and structural damage have been reported in Dhaka and surrounding districts, with localised displacement likely.
• Health authorities have mobilised emergency medical teams, and the Ministry of Health and the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) are monitoring the overall situation.
Situation Overview
A shallow earthquake originating near Ghorashal in Narayanganj District shook Dhaka and large parts of central Bangladesh, with ground motion amplified by the quake’s shallow depth and reaching an estimated MMI VII (Very Strong). Tremors were felt nationwide and extended into neighbouring India, including Kolkata and parts of Northeast India, where precautionary evacuations were reported; however, no significant damage has been recorded outside Bangladesh. The quake also caused widespread disruptions, including temporary power outages after seven power plants shut down.Information is still being consolidated from district authorities, hospitals, and first responders, and casualty figures are expected to rise as assessments continue.
In Dhaka District, two major hospitals have confirmed a combined three fatalities and 20 people injured, including a medical student among the deceased. Facilities in Gazipur District have reported some of the highest caseloads to date, treating a total of 125 injured individuals. This includes 72 patients from a medical college hospital, and 53 additional patients treated at the Sreepur Upazila, where several required referral for higher-level care. In Narsingdi District, the district hospital has recorded 4 deaths and 45 injuries, with three people in critical condition transferred to Dhaka for specialised treatment.
Significant structural damage and casualties have been reported across many districts following the earthquake. In Dhaka District, three pedestrians were killed when a five-story building collapsed in the Bangshal area. Additional incidents of building collapse and visible structural damage were reported in Hatirjheel, Khilgaon, Kolabagan, Matuail, and New Market areas, indicating a broader impact across the city’s older and densely populated neighbourhoods. Student Hostels also sustained partial damage, prompting precautionary inspections.
In Narayanganj District, one child was killed and another injured in Rupganj Upazila as a result of collapsing structures. Evacuation-related incidents were also reported, with at least 40 garment workers injured in Sonargaon Upazila while fleeing factory buildings during the tremors.
In Gazipur District, about six garment workers were seriously injured during an evacuation near the district flyover area. Local authorities have also reported that a multi-story building in Gazipur is slightly leaning, and structural assessment teams have been deployed to inspect the structure's stability and determine whether evacuation or reinforcement is required.