/ 8 October 2005

Separate quake jolts Bangladesh

An earthquake measuring 5,4 on the Richter scale jolted southern and central Bangladesh on Saturday, whipping up high waves in the Bay of Bengal, officials said.

The tremor lasted for about 20 seconds, spreading panic as tall buildings swayed and waves from the Bay of Bengal flooded coastal villages.

The seismic centre in the southern port city of Chittagong said the epicentre of the tremor was located more than 600km from the coastline.

The centre could not give the location of the epicentre for lack of proper equipment.

Reports of casualties and damages were not immediately available.

The quake came the same day that a major earthquake struck northern Pakistan, about 2 000km north-west of Bangladesh, early on Saturday, killing at least 1 000 people. — Sapa-DPA