Kolkata was shaken by a massive earthquake on Friday afternoon, with residents reporting tremors across the city around 1:22 pm. According to the National Centre for Seismology (NCS), the quake registered a magnitude of 5.5 on the Richter scale. The tremor, which struck at a depth of 10 km, had its epicenter in southwestern Bangladesh and occurred at 1:52 pm local time.
Earlier, the US Geological Survey (USGS) had registered a magnitude of 5.3. The USGS confirmed that the epicentre was 26 km southeast of Taki, West Bengal.
Variations in preliminary magnitude estimates are common as agencies refine seismic data.
Residents shared their experiences on X, with one user saying, “Felt the tremors of an earthquake for the first time in my life.”
Another said, “Terrible waves felt at Kolkata.” Several reports also came from neighbouring districts.
Social media also saw visuals from across the city showing people rushing out of their residences in panic. The tremor was felt in surrounding districts near the India-Bangladesh border.
Residents across several neighborhoods reported that ceiling fans swayed, furniture trembled, and windows rattled during the quake, with the effects felt more strongly in multi-storey buildings.
A resident of Kolkata, Swagata, described the moment the earthquake struck. “We were sitting on our sofa when we suddenly felt the tremors. We rushed out of our house. The sofa and fan were shaking, a bottle kept on a table fell down. All of us have rushed downstairs,” she said, highlighting the sudden panic experienced by many in the city.
Residents across several neighbourhoods reported that ceiling fans swayed, furniture trembled, and windows rattled during the quake, with the effects felt more strongly in multi-storey buildings.
