A magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck the Bay of Bengal early Tuesday morning, with tremors felt in Kolkata and several parts of West Bengal. The National Center for Seismology (NCS) reported that the quake occurred at 6:10 AM at a depth of 91 km, with coordinates 19.52°N and 88.55°E. While the sudden tremors caused brief panic among residents, no immediate reports of damage or casualties have been confirmed.
Many residents took to social media to share their experiences, with some posting about the jolts they felt. An X user mentioned receiving a Google Earthquake Alert at the time of the quake, speculating that the epicenter could be around 175 km from Odisha. Another user mistakenly reported the magnitude as 5.3 in a post immediately after feeling the tremors. Hashtags related to the earthquake trended briefly as people discussed its impact and checked on each other’s safety.
Kolkata falls under Seismic Zone III, indicating a moderate risk of earthquakes. Although the city is not as prone to strong seismic activity as regions like Northeast India or the Himalayas, it occasionally experiences tremors originating from nearby areas such as the Bay of Bengal, Nepal, or Northeast India. These quakes, though not frequent, serve as reminders of the region’s seismic vulnerability.