Survey to identify high-risk buildings begin

A survey to identify the risky buildings in Sylhet City area following earthquakes that created panic among the local people.  Sylhet City Corporation (SCC) launched the survey on Thursday.

Experts from the Civil & Environmental Engineering (CEE) Department and the Petroleum and Mining Engineering (PME) Department of Shahjalal University of Science & Technology (SUST) visited seven high risk buildings including six markets and one hotel on the first day of the survey.

Sources at the SCC said all buildings in the city will be taken under the purview of the survey in phases.

A team led by CEE Prof Zaheer Bin Alam examined Raja Mansion. Surma Market and Hotel Ajmeer in the morning.

Later in the afternoon, another team lead by Faculty of Applied Sciences and Technology Dean Dr Mustaq Ahmed visited four more markets. The markets are Madhuban Market, Cooperative Building, Mitali Mansion and City Super Market.

During the visit, Prof Mustaq Ahmed said it will take some time to complete the survey. However, they will submit the survey report to the SCC as soon as possible.

Rajiuddin, an assistant engineer in SCC, said the markets were closed after the May 30 earthquake. That is why these buildings are being surveyed on an emergency basis. After the survey, Mayor Ariful Haque Chowdhury will hold another meeting with experts to decide next course of action.

SCC Mayor Ariful Haque Chowdhury said a memorandum of understanding between SCC and SUST will be signed soon to survey all buildings in the city in phases. 

On Wednesday, SUST and SCC pledged to work together to identify high risk buildings in the city. 

Sylhet is located in the plate boundary area near the Dawki Fault, which is a thrust fault with a strike slip component linking the Sylhet Trough and the Shillong Plateau.

On May 29, the first tremor of magnitude 3 on the Richter scale was felt at 10:36am, followed by the aftershocks of 4.1 magnitude at 10:50am, 2.8 magnitude at 11:30am and 4 magnitude at 1:58pm. Two buildings had tilted in the city but no casualties were reported.

The next day, another tremor of magnitude 2.8 jolted Sylhet city.

Afterwards, the Sylhet City Corporation (SCC) authorities carried out an inspection and shut down 25 at-risk residential buildings and markets of the city for 10 days.

The successive earthquakes have spread panic among locals, who are worried about a potential major quake occurring sometime. Many people living in high-rise buildings have left the city for their village homes.