DFA: No reported Filipino casualties in Bangladesh earthquake

No Filipino was reported injured in the 5.7-magnitude quake Friday that struck Bangladesh, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.

There are 785 Filipinos in Bangladesh, with some 200 to 300 residing in capital Dhaka.

"The Philippine Embassy in Dhaka is monitoring the impacts of the earthquake... with the epicenter traced seven kilometers from Ghorashal, Narsingdi District, Dhaka Division," a DFA statement said Friday.

"As of this time, the embassy has not received any reports of Filipinos harmed or affected by the earthquake," it added.

Philippine officials in Dhaka advised Filipinos in Bangladesh to remain calm and vigilant, and to monitor updates from credible and verifiable sources of information.

Filipinos in Bangladesh may reach out to the embassy through its hotline +8801905400079 if they need assistance. 

At least three people were killed and several injured due to the earthquake, police said.

The German Research Center for Geosciences (GFZ) said the quake registered at magnitude-5.7, with the epicenter at a depth of 10 km (6 miles).

Tremors were also felt in eastern states in neighboring India that border Bangladesh, but there were no immediate reports of major damage in either country, authorities said.

The United States Geological Survey said the earthquake's epicenter was in the city of Narsingdi, about 40 km (25 miles) east of Dhaka, the capital.

Residents rushed out of their homes in Dhaka as buildings shook and some makeshift structures collapsed, witnesses told Reuters.

"I have never felt such a tremor in my life. We were at the office when furniture started shaking. We rushed down the stairs on the street and saw other people on the road already," said Sadman Sakib, who works in a private firm in Dhaka.

Local media showed pictures of people carrying their children and helping senior citizens out of their homes as the tremors caused panic. — with a report from Reuters/ VDV, GMA Integrated News