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Kolkata Jolted by 5.5 Magnitude Earthquake, Panic Grips City

Kolkata and surrounding districts in South Bengal were shaken by two consecutive earthquake tremors on Friday afternoon. The 5.5 magnitude quake, with its epicentre in Khulna, Bangladesh, caused panic with people rushing out of homes and offices. While several old houses were reported leaning, no major disaster had been reported at the time of filing. This follows previous tremors felt in the region earlier in February and last November.

Key Points: Earthquake Hits Kolkata, Tremors Felt Across South Bengal

  • 5.5 magnitude tremor
  • Epicentre in Khulna, Bangladesh
  • Panic as people rush outdoors
  • Old houses reported leaning
  • No major disaster reported yet
2 min read

Kolkata and adjacent districts jolted by earthquake, citizens panic

A 5.5 magnitude earthquake with epicentre in Khulna, Bangladesh jolted Kolkata and adjacent districts, causing panic but no major damage reported.

"The tremors are much more persistent. - Report"

Kolkata, Feb 27

Kolkata and its adjacent districts were jolted by two consecutive earthquake tremors on Friday afternoon, sending people rushing out of homes and offices in a panic.

Tremors were felt throughout the city and its adjacent districts at 1.22 p.m.

Several high-rise buildings in the city shook for several seconds.

The epicentre of the earthquake was Khulna in Bangladesh. The magnitude of the tremor was 5.5 on the Richter scale. Many people left their homes and offices in fear and panic. There were reports of several old houses leaning.

However, at the time the report was filed, there had not been any report of any major disaster following the tremors. Besides Kolkata, the tremors were felt mainly in the districts of South Bengal.

The districts where the tremors were felt the most included South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly, East Midnapore, and West Midnapore, among others.

On February 3, at 9.05 pm, a large area of ​​Kolkata shook following an earthquake. People immediately took to the streets. Initially, it was reported that the source of the tremor was Myanmar.

Before that, Kolkata and a large part of s​South Bengal also shook last year in November. The source of the earthquake was near Narsingdi in Bangladesh, and its depth was 10 kilometres. The magnitude of the tremor was 5.7 on the Richter scale.

This time, the tremors are much more persistent. Many people have shared videos of the tremors on social media.

Although no official statement on the impact of the earthquake has been issued by the state administration yet, a state Secretariat 'Nabanna' source said that different district headquarters are being contacted to get more information on the matter.

However, the state administration had issued an appeal to the people not to panic.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
In Howrah, we felt it strongly. People rushed out of the market. The administration says don't panic, but when the ground shakes under your feet, what are you supposed to do? We need better public awareness on earthquake drills.
D
David E
Working from home in New Alipore. It was a sudden, violent jolt. My bookshelf rattled. Given the frequency from the Bangladesh region, is there a larger geological shift happening? Authorities should provide more scientific clarity.
A
Ananya R
My mother in Baraspan said their old house creaked loudly. This is scary. We have so many unsafe, old buildings in Kolkata. The KMC needs to audit building safety urgently, not just issue appeals after the fact.
S
Suresh O
Felt it in Hooghly. Panic is natural, but we must also be prepared. Every household should have an emergency kit ready - torch, first aid, water. Bhagwan bharose nahi chalega.
M
Michael C
The videos on social media are chilling. While thankful there's no major disaster, the repeated tremors are a serious wake-up call for urban planning and disaster response infrastructure in the entire Gangetic delta.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

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