Strong tremors were felt in Kolkata and various parts of West Bengal, as well as neighboring Bangladesh, after a 5.9-magnitude earthquake rocked Myanmar on Tuesday.
The earthquake was estimated to have a magnitude of about 5.9 on the Richter scale. Data from the European-Mediterranean Seismological Center (EMSC) showed the epicenter was nearly 70 miles east of Akyab, Myanmar. The German Research Center for Geosciences (GFZ) said the earthquake occurred at a depth of around 10 kilometers (6.21 mi).
In several areas of Kolkata, residents left their homes after fans and other household items started swaying during the quake. People took to social media to share their experiences of the earthquake, with many highlighting how long the tremors lasted.
One user wrote: “Has South Kolkata experienced two earthquakes today? Early morning and right now.”
Another wrote: “Earthquake in Calcutta? Did anyone else feel it?”
A third user wrote: “Five minutes ago my bed was shaking – felt like an earthquake.”
According to the EMSC, this was the third earthquake to be felt in Myanmar in the last 71 hours. No damage has been reported yet.
It was also the second tremor in Bangladesh in 24 hours. A 4.1-magnitude earthquake struck the country earlier on Tuesday, the National Center for Seismology (NCS) said in a statement.
NCS added that the earthquake occurred at a depth of 150 km.
Experts note that earthquakes occur somewhere in the world roughly every 30 seconds, although most are too weak to be detected.
A magnitude 4.0 earthquake releases energy comparable to about 6 tons of TNT. However, since the Richter scale is logarithmic (base 10), the energy released rises sharply with each increase in magnitude. For example, a magnitude 5.0 earthquake is equivalent to about 200 tons of TNT, a magnitude 7.0 to 199,000 tons, and a magnitude 9.0 to 99,000,000 tons of TNT, The Daily Star reported.