Kolkata Shaken by Mild Tremors After 5.7-Magnitude Earthquake on Friday morning as brief shaking gripped parts of the city around 10:10 AM. The tremors lasted only a few seconds, but were strong enough for many residents to feel vibrations inside homes and offices. No damage or injuries were reported.
According to the German Research Center for Geosciences (GFZ), the earthquake originated in Narsingdi, Bangladesh, with a magnitude of 5.7 at a shallow depth of 10 km. Shallow quakes often produce stronger surface-level shaking, which explains why Kolkata felt mild tremors even though the epicentre was across the border.
Residents quickly took to social media to report furniture shaking and sudden light movements. While the tremors caused brief panic, authorities confirmed that the situation remained under control.
This is not an isolated incident. In October, the National Centre for Seismology (NCS) recorded a 3.4-magnitude earthquake in Bangladesh, highlighting the region’s frequent seismic activity.
Bangladesh lies on a highly active junction of the Indian, Eurasian, and Burma tectonic plates. The Indian plate moves northeast at around 6 cm per year, while the Eurasian plate shifts northward at about 2 cm per year, creating intense geological stress. The country is crisscrossed by major faults—including the Bogura, Tripura, Shillong Plateau, Dauki, and Assam faults—placing it in 13 earthquake-prone zones.
According to The Daily Star, citing USGS data, earthquake energy increases sharply with magnitude:
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4.0 = 6 tons of TNT
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5.0 = 200 tons of TNT
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7.0 = nearly 199,000 tons of TNT
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9.0 = 99 million tons of TNT
Cities like Dhaka, with over 30,000 people per sq km, are among the world’s most vulnerable to strong earthquakes.
While Kolkata escaped damage this time, experts say tremors like these should remind residents and authorities to stay prepared, given the region’s active seismic environment.
