Kolkata Earthquake: Strong tremors felt in the city after 5.4 magnitude quake in Bangladesh

Strong tremors were felt in Kolkata and adjoining districts of West Bengal on Friday afternoon after a 5.5-magnitude earthquake on the Richter Scale jolted parts of Bangladesh, officials said.

The quake struck at around 1.22 pm and was recorded at a depth of 10 km below the Earth’s surface, according to an official of the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The epicentre was located at Nayabazar in Bangladesh, nearly 100 km from Kolkata, the official added.

The tremors, which lasted for nearly 10 seconds, triggered panic across the eastern Indian city. People rushed out of homes and offices, seeking safety in open spaces amid fears of aftershocks. However, there were no immediate reports of any loss of life or damage to property, officials said, and no aftershocks were felt immediately after the initial jolt.


Scenes of anxiety were reported from Nabanna, the state secretariat, the state assembly premises and the office of the Chief Electoral Officer, where government employees gathered outdoors in apprehension. Similar visuals emerged from Salt Lake’s IT hub and several multi-storey residential complexes across the city.

Residents across neighbourhoods reported swaying ceiling fans, shaking furniture and rattling windows, with the impact more noticeable in high-rise buildings. Several took to X to describe the experience, with some terming it “scary”, and shared images, videos and maps to corroborate their accounts.


"I was literally shaken to core," wrote another user.


"Earthquake in Kolkata—bed was shaking, fan was swaying. That was scary for a moment. Hope everyone is safe," wrote a third resident from Kolkata.

Not the first tremors in Kolkata this month

The Friday tremors come weeks after a powerful earthquake had rattled the region.

On February 3, a magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck Myanmar, the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) said at the time. The quake occurred at a shallow depth of 10 km (6.21 miles), triggering strong tremors that were felt in parts of eastern India, including Kolkata.

Tremors were reported across Kolkata and adjoining areas that evening, with an IMD official confirming the development. Residents in several high-rise buildings and office-goers said they felt the aftershocks of the quake, which struck Myanmar at around 9.05 pm and lasted for a few seconds.

There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries due to the temblor.

"The epicentre of the earthquake was somewhere in Myanmar. We are ascertaining the details of the quake and trying to pinpoint its exact location. It had a magnitude of 6.1 on the Richter scale," the official said.

(With inputs from PTI)