KOLKATA — A moderate earthquake measuring 5.3 on the Richter Scale struck West Bengal and neighbouring Bangladesh on Friday afternoon, February 27, 2026, sending thousands of residents in Kolkata and adjoining districts rushing out of their homes and offices. The tremors, which occurred at approximately 1:22 PM IST, lasted for several seconds and were felt across multiple high-rise buildings and densely populated urban pockets.
According to the National Centre for Seismology (NCS) and the US Geological Survey (USGS), the epicenter was located near the India-Bangladesh border, approximately 26 km southeast of Taki in North 24 Parganas, West Bengal. While some reports initially cited Agargaon in Dhaka due to the location of the Bangladesh Meteorological Department’s monitoring centre, the seismic activity was most intense in the border regions. The quake struck at a relatively shallow depth of about 10 km, which amplified the vibrations felt on the surface.
In Kolkata, the impact was particularly noticeable in the high-rise clusters of Salt Lake, Rajarhat, and South Kolkata. Office-goers in the city’s IT hub were seen evacuating buildings as ceiling fans swayed and furniture rattled. Beyond the state capital, reports of tremors arrived from Howrah, Hooghly, Jhargram, and West Medinipur. In some older neighbourhoods of North Kolkata, residents reported minor cracks in aging structures and the tilting of old houses, though the state administration has yet to confirm any major casualties or structural collapses.
Personal accounts highlighted the sudden nature of the event. Swagata, a resident of Kolkata, described the experience: “I was sitting on the sofa when everything started shaking. The table rattled, and a water bottle fell over. We didn’t wait a second and ran downstairs with the neighbours. It was terrifying to see the fans moving even after the shaking stopped.”
While the West Bengal disaster management teams have been put on alert, authorities have urged citizens not to panic and to stay away from dilapidated buildings for the time being. No tsunami warning has been issued, as the epicenter was inland. This is the second significant seismic event felt in the region this month, following tremors from a Myanmar-based quake earlier in February, raising concerns about the seismic vulnerability of the Gangetic delta.
