A 5.5-magnitude earthquake struck near the India-Bangladesh border around 1.22pm on Friday, sending strong tremors across Kolkata and triggering panic as residents rushed out of homes, offices and government buildings.
According to the National Centre for Seismology (NCS), the quake had its epicentre in Bangladesh. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said the epicentre was located about 26km southeast of Taki in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, around 70 km east of Kolkata.
“According to early data shared by the USGS, the epicentre was at a depth of around 9.8km. The jolt felt in Kolkata was intense because it was a shallow quake, not very far from the city,” said Saibal Ghosh, deputy director general of the Geological Survey of India.
Residential complexes, schools and offices were evacuated as a precaution. Employees working at state secretariat Nabanna, a high-rise building, stepped out onto the streets. Legislators and staff at the state legislative assembly also vacated the premises.
“I live on the eighth floor of a 13-storeyed building in Behala. I got very scared and rushed down with my kid. I have never felt such a strong earthquake. Everyone was rushing down the stairs,” said Madhumita Roy, a resident of southwest Kolkata.
“We were literally shaking. A colleague screamed when the jolt started. I was sitting on a chair. Everything was shaking and we started running down the stairs,” said Sandip Bhattacharya, an IT employee working in Salt Lake.
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