Kolkata felt a sudden jolt on Friday afternoon after an earthquake struck near Dhaka in Bangladesh, sending tremors across parts of West Bengal. Many residents stepped out of their homes and offices as a precaution, though there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
The quake was recorded at around 1:30 PM IST and occurred roughly 188 kilometres from Dhaka, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) measured it at 5.4 magnitude, while the USGS reported it as 5.3. Because of Kolkata’s proximity to Bangladesh, the tremors were felt in several neighbourhoods across the city and adjoining areas.
What the agencies said
The USGS located the earthquake at latitude 22.451°N and longitude 89.139°E, at a depth of 9.8 kilometres. The BMD said the epicentre lay southwest of its Seismic Centre in Agargaon, Dhaka.
A quake at this depth falls into the shallow category. According to USGS data, earthquakes between 0 and 70 kilometres are classified as shallow. Such quakes can cause stronger shaking at the surface because the seismic waves have less distance to travel.
In many parts of Kolkata, ceiling fans swayed and small objects shifted. People were seen gathering in open spaces shortly after the tremors.
Swagata, a resident of the city, described the moment: “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.”
The movement lasted only a short while before subsiding.
Another tremor in Sikkim earlier in the day
Earlier on Friday, a separate earthquake of magnitude 2.7 struck Namchi in Sikkim, the National Center for Seismology (NCS) said.
According to the NCS, the tremor occurred at 12:02:43 IST at a depth of 5 kilometres. The epicentre was located at latitude 27.36 N and longitude 88.37 E.
“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,” the NCS stated in a post on X.