• 5-story building's railing collapsed in Dhaka's Bangshal neighborhood, killing 3 people, local police officer tells Anadolu

DHAKA, Bangladesh

A moderate 5.7-magnitude Richter scale earthquake shook Bangladesh on Friday, killing at least five people, including three in the capital, Dhaka, and injuring about a hundred others, an official statement said.

At least five people, including a child, were killed, and about 100 people injured in various parts of the country, including Dhaka University students and factory workers in the central districts of Gazipur and Narsingdi, which was the epicenter of the earthquake, according to a statement from interim head Muhammad Yunus' office.

A five-story building's railing collapsed in Dhaka's Bangshal neighborhood, killing three people, local police officer Ashish Bose told Anadolu.

The tremor, recorded at 10.38 am local time (0438GMT), struck with an epicenter in the Narsingdi district, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) northeast of Dhaka, according to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department.

The quake lasted only a few seconds. Residents in Dhaka rushed out of buildings and homes as the ground shook, seeking safety in the streets.

The earthquake has caused casualties in various districts of the country, including house collapses and other accidents, it added.

Yunus expressed deep shock and sorrow at the news.

He said that the government is closely monitoring the situation and initiatives have been taken to collect a full account of the damage.

The local fire department reported seven cases of buildings damaged or affected by the quake in and outside Dhaka, and at least one person was injured.

The earthquake was also felt in parts of neighboring India.