Kolkata residents describe intense 30-second quake shaking homes
A 5.7-magnitude quake hit Bangladesh’s Narsingdi, sending strong tremors across Kolkata and parts of West Bengal on Wednesday.
Kolkata was jolted awake on Friday morning after strong tremors were felt across the city, following a magnitude 5.7 earthquake that struck Bangladesh’s Narsingdi district. The quake, which occurred earlier in the day, sent shockwaves across several parts of West Bengal, including Kolkata, prompting confusion, surprise and brief panic among residents.
As the tremors rippled through the city, many people immediately took to social media to share their experiences. For many, the intensity of the shaking felt far stronger than what they had encountered in recent years.
One Kolkata resident wrote on X, “I think I just experienced the most intense earthquake of my life; Kolkata was shuddering like a fragile plastic tunnel.” Another user described how the tremors lasted long enough to cause real alarm: “My building shook for a full 30 seconds,” he claimed, adding that he rushed to check if others in the building had felt the same.
Several people also remarked that the quake was powerful enough to wake those asleep. “That earthquake was strong enough to wake someone up from sleep,” another resident posted, reflecting how abruptly the tremors disrupted the quiet morning.
Videos on social platforms showed people stepping out of homes and offices, gathering outside buildings as a precautionary measure. In many neighbourhoods, residents were seen standing in groups on the streets, exchanging anxious conversations and trying to assess whether the tremors could return. Thankfully, there were no immediate reports of injuries or structural damage across the city.
The tremors were not limited to Kolkata alone. Reports of shaking also came in from different parts of West Bengal and the northeastern region. People in Tripura’s Dharmanagar, Meghalaya’s Tura and Cherrapunjee, and Mizoram’s Aizawl shared online that they felt the ground vibrate for several seconds. Many described the sensation as a sudden sway followed by a brief, sharp jolt.
Experts say that since Narsingdi is not far from India’s eastern and northeastern states, it is not unusual for quakes in that region to be felt widely, especially when they occur at shallow depths that allow seismic waves to travel efficiently.
Adding to the seismic activity of the day, another earthquake—this one measuring 5.2 in magnitude—shook parts of Pakistan earlier in the morning. According to the National Centre for Seismology (NCS), the epicentre of the Pakistan quake was located at a depth of 135 kilometres. Although unrelated to the Bangladesh quake, the two events occurring within hours of each other led many online to wonder if the region was experiencing a rare spike in seismic disturbances.
Back in Kolkata, life slowly returned to normal after the initial shock wore off. People resumed their morning routines, offices reopened and traffic returned to its usual pace. Yet, the tremors served as an uneasy reminder of the city’s vulnerability to distant earthquakes due to its geographical location.
Authorities have advised residents to remain alert but not panic, emphasising that there is no indication of further danger. For now, Kolkata continues to go about its day, carrying with it the lingering memory of a morning when the ground shook beneath its feet and reminded everyone just how fragile the world can feel in a few trembling seconds.