The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

An earthquake measuring 5.6 magnitude on the Richter scale jolted most parts of the country including the capital Dhaka last midnight leaving a sexagenarian man dead of heartattack and over 50 students of Dhaka University injured.

The earthquake was felt shortly before 1:00am and it lasted for few seconds.

Witnesses said people panicked as the tremor shook twice at 00:51am when most people were asleep. Many city-dwellers woke up and screamed in panic as buildings and cots jolted for a while.

A meteorologist of the Metrology Department yesterday told The New Nation that the earthquake originated from the bordering area of Sylhet and its magnitude was the highest this year.

A correspondent from Sirajganj district said being panicked by the earthquake, a sexagenarian man died of heart attack at Talam Nadipara village in Tarash Upazila in the district.

The dead was identified as Abul Hossain, 65. According to local people he woke up and hurriedly came out of his residence screaming when the tremor was felt at midnight. He died shortly after the earthquake.

Meanwhile, over 50 students of Dhaka University were injured as they jumped out from their dormitory windows to save their lives.

Of the 50 injured students, the conditions of 10 are reported to be serious. They have been admitted to different hospitals including the Dhaka Medial College Hospital.

The injured students include, 15 from Haji Mohammad Mohsin Hall, 12 from Jagannath Hall, 3 each from Masterda Suriya Sen Hall and Amar Ekushey Hall, 2 each from Muktijoddha Ziaur Rahman Hall, Poet Jasim Uddin Hall Sir AF Rahman Hall and Fazlul Haque Muslim Hall and 5 from other halls.

Dhaka University authorities told reporters that it would bear the expenses of treatment of the injured students.

Vice Chancellor Prof SMA Fayez directed the authorities concerned to ensure proper treatment of the students.

Abdus Samad Azad, Dhaka University Correspondent of the Dainik Khaborpatra and also a resident of Ziaur Rahman Hall, got injury in his legs after he jumped from his dormitory window.

He told reporters that he woke up at about 1:00 PM last night hearing hue and cry in the hall and saw there was none in his room. Then he come out from the room and jumped from the first floor in panic. Azad was admitted to DMCH.

Meanwhile, a correspondent from Rajshahi said that the tremor also shook the buildings and business establishments in the city panicking the local people.

Local people got scared as a few days back a moderate earthquake struck the northwestern part of the city at night.

A correspondent from Barguna district, some 247 km south of the capital, also said that the people of the district also felt the earthquake.