- By Priyanka Koul
- Fri, 27 Feb 2026 01:36 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Kolkata Earthquake: A powerful earthquake measuring 4.9 on the Richter scale jolted Kolkata on Friday, with tremors felt across several parts of eastern India and neighbouring Bangladesh. Residents reported tremors across the city around 1:22 pm.
The quake’s epicentre was located in Bangladesh. According to the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC), the tremor measured 5.3 in magnitude and occurred at a depth of 35 kilometres beneath the surface.
Earthquake tremors felt in Kolkata, adjacent West Bengal districts, cause panic among people
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) February 27, 2026
The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has reported the quake to be of 5.4 magnitude. The tremor was reported around 1:30 PM IST and was recorded southwest of the BMD Seismic Centre in Dhaka's Agargaon.
People were seen gathering in open spaces in Kolkata shortly after the tremors were felt.
Recounting the moment, Swagata, a Kolkata resident, said that the sofa and fan in their room were visibly shaking, after which they had to rush downstairs to open spaces.
"We were sitting on our sofa when we suddenly felt the tremors. We rushed out of our house. The sofa and fan were shaking, and a bottle kept on a table fell down. All of us have rushed downstairs," she said.
Earlier this morning, a series of earthquakes and tremors caused panic in Sikkim. Sikkim experienced a 3.7 magnitude earthquake at around 4:10 am, causing panic among residents. According to the National Centre for Seismology, the tremor occurred at a shallow depth of 5 km near latitude 27.40 N and longitude 88.69 E. Many people reported feeling strong tremors across different parts of the state.
EQ of M: 2.7, On: 27/02/2026 12:02:43 IST, Lat: 27.36 N, Long: 88.37 E, Depth: 5 Km, Location: Namchi, Sikkim.
— National Center for Seismology (@NCS_Earthquake) February 27, 2026
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The US Geological Survey (USGS) confirmed the epicenter was 26 km southeast of Taki in West Bengal. The tremor struck at 1:22 pm IST at a shallow depth of 9.8 km which likely contributed to the intensity of shaking felt in Kolkata and nearby areas.
Shallow earthquakes are generally more dangerous than deep earthquakes. This is because the seismic waves from shallow earthquakes have a shorter distance to travel to the surface, resulting in stronger ground shaking and potentially more damage to structures and greater casualties.
( With inputs from agencies )