A 5.5 magnitude earthquake with its epicentre in Khulna, Bangladesh, struck on Friday afternoon, jolting Kolkata and several districts of South Bengal and triggering panic among residents, though no major damage was reported till the filing of this report.
The tremors were felt at 1:22 p.m., sending people rushing out of homes and office buildings across the city. Several high-rise structures swayed for a few seconds as the impact of the quake was felt widely in the region.
According to available information, the epicentre was located in Khulna, Bangladesh, and the earthquake measured 5.5 on the Richter scale. Residents in multiple neighbourhoods reported feeling prolonged shaking, prompting many to evacuate buildings as a precautionary measure.
Apart from Kolkata, the tremors were strongly experienced in several districts of South Bengal. Areas that reported noticeable impact included South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly, East Midnapore and West Midnapore. In some locations, there were reports of old houses developing visible tilts following the tremors.
Despite the intensity of the shaking, no major disaster or large-scale damage had been officially reported at the time of writing. Authorities continued to assess the situation across affected districts.
This is not the first time in recent weeks that Kolkata has experienced seismic activity. On February 3 at around 9:05 p.m., a significant portion of the city felt tremors following another earthquake. At that time, preliminary reports had indicated Myanmar as the source of the quake, and residents had similarly taken to the streets.
Last November, Kolkata and large parts of South Bengal were shaken by another earthquake originating near Narsingdi in Bangladesh. That tremor had a magnitude of 5.7 on the Richter scale and occurred at a depth of 10 kilometres.
Residents described Friday’s tremors as more persistent compared to previous instances. Several individuals shared videos on social media showing ceiling fans swaying and people assembling outside residential and commercial buildings.
While the state administration had not issued an official statement detailing the impact of the latest earthquake, a source at the state Secretariat, Nabanna, indicated that district headquarters were being contacted to gather comprehensive information about the situation on the ground.
The state administration appealed to residents to remain calm and avoid panic as assessments continued. Officials are monitoring developments across districts to determine whether any structural damage or casualties have occurred.
The back-to-back tremors in recent months have once again drawn attention to seismic vulnerability in eastern India and neighbouring regions, with authorities closely tracking updates following Friday’s quake.
