Kolkata was rattled by a sharp tremor on Friday afternoon after a 5.4-magnitude earthquake struck across the border in Bangladesh. The shaking, which occurred approximately 1:20 pm, spread a wave of panic throughout the city and its surrounding regions, with thousands of people evacuating high-rise office buildings and residential high-rises.
Although the tremors were only brief, the effects were certainly noticeable throughout the metropolitan region. In Dalhousie and Salt Lake, individuals witnessed swaying furniture and shaking windows, which led to an instant evacuation. Huge crowds assembled in the roads and public spaces as people waited for the dust to settle, with many people clutching their mobile phones as automatic earthquake warnings started flashing on the screens.
Preliminary estimates suggested a strength of about 5.0 on the Richter scale, with initial estimates suggesting that the epicenter was surprisingly shallow, just a few kilometers away from Satkhira in Bangladesh.
Although the jolts were powerful enough to vibrate heavy structures, there have been no immediate reports of casualties or significant structural damage within West Bengal. Local authorities are, however, remaining vigilant, as residents in the city's older, more congested neighbourhoods expressed concern over the stability of aging buildings following the shock.
Also read: Bomb threat to West Bengal courts trigger panic
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