The earthquake in Sylhet is obvious but neglected

The foci of earthquakes that struck the Sylhet region in the past 100 years were collected from volcanodiscovery.com

Authorities began identifying defective buildings in the city of Sylhet 10 days after several earthquakes

People die in earthquakes when they are trapped inside a building that was constructed by violating the rules and don’t know what to do during an earthquake.

Earthquakes affect faulty buildings. Such buildings cause cracks, tilt or collapse when hit by a strong jolt. Thus, no one can blame earthquakes for the heavy loss of life and property.

Sylhet authorities have taken some initiatives in the wake of three earthquakes and several aftershocks that have rocked the city since late May. Among the initiatives are the closure of 25 risky apartment buildings and malls, and the launch of a survey Thursday to identify other buildings at risk.

But earthquakes are not new to the residents of the Sylhet region.

The foci of most of the 36 earthquakes of magnitude 5 and above on the Richter scale that struck the Sylhet region since 1918 were in places located 50 kilometers from the town of the province – Netrakona, Sunamganj, Habiganj and Maulvibazar. Sylhet is located along the mountainous regions of the Indian border.

Sylhet lies near the Dawki Fault, responsible for a number of devastating earthquakes for more than a century, and most earthquake epicenters have been near the city, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS), which records earthquakes worldwide.

The last major earthquake with a magnitude of 5.5 and its epicenter was in Mulvibazar, just 42 km from Sylhet, the city on March 2, 2013.

The strongest tremors felt in the Sylhet area in the past 100 years were 7.2 in 1918 and 6 in 1997.

Last year, two earthquakes hit Sylhet – a 4.2 earthquake on June 3 and a 4.5 on January 27.

On May 29 this year, the first tremor struck at 10:36 am with a magnitude of 3 on the Richter scale, followed by aftershocks with a magnitude of 4.1 at 10:50 am, 2.8 at 11:30 am, and a magnitude of 4 Richter scale. At 1:58 pm, according to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD).

Read also – City authorities start a survey to identify high-risk buildings in Sylhet

At 4:35 a.m. the next morning, another earthquake of magnitude 2.8 was felt in the city.

Recently, on June 7, a 3.8-magnitude earthquake shook the city at 6:30 p.m. A man, who was on the roof of a high-rise building in the city, said he felt the building sway in the air. Many people took to the streets at that time.

Earthquakes don’t kill, buildings do

Fearing frequent earthquakes, many residents of high-rise buildings left the city for their village homes.

However, these buildings did not collapse or crack due to the three earthquakes and aftershocks.

It is the old and small, fragile buildings that have been partially affected. Two six-story buildings were devastated after the May 29 earthquake while a school building was declared deserted after the last light tremor.

Experts say the frequency of low-magnitude earthquakes is a precursor to high-strength tremors.

In 2009, the government declared that 24,000 of the 52,000 buildings surveyed in the town of Sylhet were at risk of earthquakes.

This result emerged from a survey conducted in the cities of Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet in 2008-2009 under the Comprehensive Disaster Management Program (CDMP) project of the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief.

At that time, experts suggested demolishing or modifying dangerous buildings to avoid loss of life and heavy economic losses.

They also highlighted the need to map facility connections, train staff in hospitals, purchase advanced equipment for the fire service, and prepare volunteers to be first responders during a disaster.

Although the Dhaka city authorities have taken some steps in this regard, Sylhet authorities have not taken any preparedness measures to prevent losses. Existing buildings at risk were not modified while new tall buildings were constructed without making them earthquake resistant.

Construction and earthquake experts say it doesn’t cost much to make buildings that can withstand strong tremors. On the other hand, modifying old buildings increases their life span by 100 years.

Media reports say that due to the negligence of the concerned authorities, unplanned urbanization and construction of buildings in contravention of earthquakes and fire safety guidelines continues unabated in Sylhet, Chittagong and Dhaka – the three earthquake-prone hotspots.

A 2009 study found that a strong earthquake caused by any of the three faults would cause massive damage to buildings, bridges, and supply channels for utility services in the three cities.

Chittagong is at risk due to plate boundary fault 1, 2 and 3 in the bay while Dhaka, with its Madhupur blind fault, is at risk, even at medium level tremor, due to its high population density and towering concrete structures.

According to the study, about 142,000 out of 180,000 buildings in Chittagong and 78,000 out of 326,000 buildings in Dhaka are highly vulnerable to earthquakes. Moreover, about 130,000 people could be killed instantly if a 7.5-magnitude earthquake, caused by the Madopor Blind Fault, struck the capital.

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