At least 80 female workers fell ill from panic, and six others were injured while rushing to exit factories at the Cumilla Export Processing Zone (EPZ) during this morning’s earthquake on 21 November.

The 5.7-magnitude quake, felt at 10:38 am, shook Cumilla along with other parts of the country, causing at least nine deaths and over a hundred injuries so far.

Of the 80 affected workers, 30 were taken to Cumilla Medical College Hospital, while 50 received primary treatment at the Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA) hospital inside the EPZ.

Md Saiful Islam, in-charge of the Cumilla EPZ police outpost, confirmed that none of the workers sustained life-threatening injuries. “Most of them suffered panic attacks while trying to flee. Everyone has received primary treatment and returned home,” he said.

Tanvir Ahmed, emergency physician at Cumilla Medical College Hospital, added that at least 30 people were given first aid. Eyewitnesses reported that the strong tremor led many female workers to rush out of the buildings, causing several to collapse in fear. Some even fell unconscious on the factory floor due to panic.

Meanwhile, in Cumilla’s Daudkandi upazila, a five-storey building tilted following the quake, and cracks appeared in another structure, according to residents. Authorities continue to monitor the situation