Kolkata Shaken by Consecutive Tremors from Myanmar Earthquake
The city of Kolkata experienced a startling seismic event on Tuesday evening as two distinct tremors, triggered by an earthquake and its aftershock in neighboring Myanmar, jolted residents across the metropolitan area. The first strong tremor struck at 9:05 PM, followed by a second noticeable vibration at 10:10 PM, creating widespread concern and prompting many people in high-rise buildings and offices to evacuate to safer open spaces.
Social Media Erupts with Anxious Exchanges
The sudden shake-up immediately took social media platforms by storm, with countless Kolkatans exchanging urgent messages to check on the safety of family members, friends, and acquaintances. The digital landscape was flooded with real-time updates and personal accounts as people sought confirmation and reassurance during the unsettling moments.
Fortunately, initial reports confirmed no structural damage or injuries from the seismic activity, providing some relief to the anxious populace. The Regional Meteorological Centre in Kolkata officially verified both tremors, attributing them to the distant earthquake event.
Firsthand Accounts from Affected Residents
Rima Sur Chowdhury, a resident of Behala, described her experience: "I was watching television while sitting on a chair when suddenly I felt as though someone was pushing my chair from behind. I stood up immediately and realized the floor itself was shaking. Some of our neighbors even came out onto the road for safety."
Asis Munshi from Netaji Nagar shared a different perspective: "I was participating in an online meeting when my bed began shaking inside my room. I stopped speaking momentarily, thinking I might be imagining things until my father watched the news and confirmed it was indeed an earthquake."
Seismic Details and Geographical Context
The primary earthquake registered a magnitude of 6.0 with its epicenter located near Sittwe, the capital of Myanmar's Rakhine province. This port city sits approximately 540 kilometers southeast of Kolkata across the Bay of Bengal. Seismologists reported the quake occurred at a depth of 27 kilometers beneath the earth's surface.
The subsequent aftershock measured magnitude 5.3 and originated at a slightly shallower depth of 20 kilometers. The tremors were not confined to Kolkata alone, with reports emerging from various parts of south Bengal and neighboring Bangladesh as well.
Historical Context and Previous Seismic Activity
This seismic event marks Kolkata's most recent experience with noticeable tremors since November of last year, when a magnitude 5.7 earthquake near Dhaka, Bangladesh, caused similar vibrations throughout the city. That previous tremor lasted only a few seconds and was felt around 10:10 AM.
The geological reality of Kolkata's location makes it susceptible to feeling distant earthquakes, particularly those originating in the seismically active regions surrounding the Bay of Bengal. While the city itself doesn't sit on a major fault line, its proximity to active seismic zones means residents occasionally experience these unsettling reminders of the earth's dynamic nature.
Most residents described the sensation as lasting only a few seconds but being distinctly noticeable. Those indoors reported seeing ceiling fans swaying and furniture shifting slightly, while others felt the ground itself moving beneath them. The experience served as a stark reminder of nature's unpredictable power, even when originating hundreds of kilometers away.
