A six-storey building in Chattogram's Mansurabad area tilted and leaned onto an adjacent structure following yesterday's earthquake.
The building – known as Mostafa Hakim Star Bhaban – leaned on the adjacent Ashraf Mansion, also another six-storey structure, shortly after the 5.7 magnitude tremor that shook different parts of the country, including Dhaka and Chattogram.
Locals said that Star Bhaban had shown signs of weakness earlier, but yesterday's quake caused a sudden and visible tilt.
Abdullah Ashraf, owner of Ashraf Mansion, said, "The building was old and already had a slight tilt. But today's quake caused the top three floors to lean onto my building. We informed the fire service and police immediately."
The building first tilted during an earthquake five years back, said Kazi Hasan Bin Shams, chief engineer of Chattogram Development Authority (CDA).
The fire service official, Md Hanif Mia, said, "We came as soon as we received the call. We are inspecting the structure; about 10-12 families live in the tilted building. We will provide further details after the assessment."
Khadija Akter, a resident of Oxygen area, said, "I was having breakfast with my children when the ceiling fan and furniture started shaking. People from nearby buildings ran outside within seconds."
Four people were killed in Dhaka, Narayanganj, and over a hundred people were reportedly injured. Authorities are still assessing the full extent of damage nationwide.