At least five people have been killed, including one child, and more than 450 injured after a 5.5 magnitude earthquake hit Bangladesh.
The epicenter of the earthquake was close to the Narsingdi district, about 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) from the capital, Dhaka.
People rushed from residential buildings as structures shook and makeshift constructions collapsed. At least 10 students were injured in a stampede while attempting to flee Dhaka University.
We have never experienced an earthquake this powerful in the last five years, said environmental adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan.
At least three people were killed when debris fell from a five-storey building in Dhaka's Armanitola area, deputy police commissioner Mallik Ahsan Uddin Sami reported.
According to the monitoring division director Nitai Chandra De Sarkar, 461 injuries have been reported nationwide, including 252 in the Gazipur district, north of Dhaka. Our primary task is to assess casualties and damage, he stated.
A local resident, Sadman Sakib, expressed his shock: I've never felt such a tremor in my 30 years of life. We rushed down the stairs on the street and saw others already outside. A student named Abdullah recalled that the whole building was shaking while he was asleep during the quake.
Tremors were also felt in eastern Indian states bordering Bangladesh, though no significant damage was reported there.
The earthquake interrupted a cricket match in Bangladesh involving Ireland, causing a brief pause as players and fans sought safety.
Ireland's coach Heinrich Malan reflected, saying, It's never a nice feeling... we're thinking of everyone and hoping there's been no major damage.
