DHAKA
A powerful earthquake in Bangladesh’s capital could trigger devastating citywide fires alongside widespread structural collapse, experts warned in a new report.
Secondary hazards like ruptured gas pipelines and electrical short circuits threaten to significantly increase fatalities across the densely populated urban landscape.
Essential utility services can rapidly turn into major dangers during strong tremors. Overhead electricity cables criss-cross Dhaka’s congested neighborhoods while gas lines run beneath crowded roads.
Experts note that damaged wires easily spark faults, while broken water mains would severely hamper firefighting efforts. Past data shows that if a massive tremor strikes during cooking hours, gas stoves become instant ignition sources, whereas nighttime disasters are mostly fueled by electrical failures.
“Fire is one of the most dangerous secondary effects in earthquake-prone cities,” explained housing research director Mohammad Abu Sadeque. He urged buildings to install automatic electrical shut-off devices to minimize immediate risks. Sadeque also stressed that hospitals must secure oxygen cylinders and utilize early-warning alarms to protect patients during surgeries.
In response to the growing threat, Fire Service Director General Brigadier General Muhammad Jahed Kamal stated that a 60-member Special Rescue Team is currently on standby. Furthermore, authorities are training 62,000 community volunteers nationwide to strengthen local disaster preparedness. However, officials openly cautioned that an extremely high-magnitude earthquake could still completely overwhelm the department’s current emergency response capacity. City residents are urged to store water and secure heavy appliances immediately.
