An earthquake measured at magnitude 5.3 by the US Geological Survey and 5.4 by the Bangladesh Meteorological Department struck on Friday afternoon about 188 kilometres from Dhaka, officials said. The tremor occurred around 1:30 PM IST and was recorded southwest of the BMD Seismic Centre in Agargaon.
The USGS gave the epicentre at latitude 22.451°N and longitude 89.139°E, with a focal depth of 9.8 kilometres. Shallow seismic events like this typically produce stronger surface shaking because seismic waves travel a shorter distance to the ground.
Tremors were felt across parts of Kolkata and neighbouring areas of West Bengal, prompting people to leave homes and offices and gather in open spaces. A Kolkata resident, Swagata, said the sofa and ceiling fan in her room shook and a bottle fell from a table, after which her household moved downstairs to nearby open areas.
For reference, the USGS classifies earthquake depths as shallow (0–70 km), intermediate (70–300 km) and deep (300–700 km), with shallower quakes generally causing more intense local shaking.
Earlier the same day, the National Center for Seismology reported a separate magnitude 2.7 tremor near Namchi, Sikkim. That event was recorded at 12:02:43 IST at a depth of 5 km, with an epicentre at latitude 27.36°N and longitude 88.37°E.
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