A 4.9 magnitude earthquake, which lasted for a few seconds, was felt in Cox’s Bazar and surrounding areas at 12:57 am on Monday. Tremors were felt in Cox’s Bazar town, Ukhia, Chakaria and various places in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, but no major damage was reported.
According to the European Mediterranean Seismological Center, the epicenter of the earthquake was the Nachuang area of Myanmar’s Sagaing region, with a depth of about 107 kilometers. The same information was also confirmed by the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The list of affected areas includes Myanmar’s Sagaing region, northeastern India, and the Chittagong, Dhaka, Barisal and Sylhet divisions of Bangladesh.
Many locals reported being woken up by a sudden jolt. Mridul Sharma, a college teacher in Ukhiya, said, “Suddenly, I felt like the house was moving, the tremors felt relatively strong.” Cox’s Bazar housewife Zubaida Karim said, “The entire building shook, I got a little scared.”
This is the eighth earthquake in the country in a span of a few days since a 5.2 magnitude earthquake in Narsingdi on November 21 killed 10 people, further increasing people’s anxiety.