BUET Hall Roof Collapses Following Mild Earthquake in Dhaka

A section of the roof cornice on an old residential building within the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) campus collapsed last night following a mild earthquake that shook Dhaka and surrounding regions.

The tremor, which struck at exactly 9:29:20 PM on Monday (June 22), triggered localized damage to the older structures on campus. According to the global earthquake monitoring network VolcanoDiscovery, the earthquake registered a magnitude of 4.0 on the Richter scale with a relatively shallow focal depth of approximately 16 kilometers (10 miles).

Palashi Fire Service Station Warehouse Officer Apu Kumar Mondal confirmed the structural failure to The Daily Campus. He stated that a portion of the roof cornice from the old residential building No. 39-40 crumbled and fell to the ground under the impact of the tremor.

"The cornice of the BUET building fractured due to the earthquake and collapsed downward," Mondal reported. "We have cordoned off the site and implemented the necessary safety cordons. Given that it is a residential facility, we have advised the university administration to take immediate measures regarding the safety of the residents."

He added that while fire service personnel found no severely injured individuals at the immediate site, local reports indicate at least one person suffered minor injuries from the falling debris. Detailed information regarding the identity and medical status of the injured individual could not be immediately verified.

Following the incident, BUET Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. Abdul Hasib Chowdhury, along with prominent structural engineer and DUET/BUET Department of Civil Engineering Professor Dr. Khan Mahmud Amanat, rushed to the spot to conduct an emergency inspection.

The senior administration and engineering experts thoroughly evaluated the structural integrity of the impacted facility and coordinated immediate safety operations with the responding first responders.

The Palashi Fire Service confirmed they have warned pedestrians and campus residents to completely avoid the perimeter surrounding the building. The structural engineer in charge of the facility has informed authorities that the matter is being treated with the highest priority, and comprehensive renovation plans are being drafted to restore the compromised structure swiftly.