It lasted barely 10 seconds — but it felt like forever. Kolkata’s Friday afternoon was shattered by one of the most talked-about earthquakes the city has witnessed in years, with social media instantly flooding with videos of swaying chandeliers, rattling bottles, and panicked residents spilling into the streets. Here is everything that happened.
Table of Contents
Kolkata Earthquake February 27, 2026: Complete Fact Sheet
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Date & Time | February 27, 2026 at ~1:22 PM IST |
| Magnitude | 5.5 (NCS) / 5.3 (USGS) / 5.4 (BMD) |
| Epicentre | Nayabazar, Bangladesh (22.57°N, 89.11°E) |
| Distance from Kolkata | ~100 km |
| Depth | 10 km (shallow) |
| Tremor Duration | ~10 seconds |
| Aftershocks | None immediately reported |
| Casualties/Damage | None confirmed |
What Happened on the Ground?
Tremors were felt in Kolkata and adjacent districts of West Bengal on Friday afternoon, after an earthquake of 5.5 magnitude jolted parts of Bangladesh. The quake was felt at around 1:22 PM. The tremors lasted for some 10 seconds, throwing people in Kolkata into a tizzy, who then scurried out of their buildings.
Office-goers and residents rushed out of buildings as a precautionary measure. Social media was flooded with videos captured by locals showing ceiling fans swaying violently, lights flickering, and furniture vibrating due to the intensity.
One Kolkata resident, Swagata, recounted that the sofa and fan in their room were visibly shaking, after which they had to rush downstairs to open spaces. Total Apex Entertainment
What Netizens Said — and Felt
The internet reacted instantly. An X user claimed that his building shook for 30 seconds. “I think I just experienced the most intense earthquake of my life; Kolkata was shuddering like a fragile plastic tunnel,” wrote a Kolkata native. Another commented, “That earthquake lasted over 30 seconds and was very powerful,” while yet another wrote, “Oh my god. This is the most terrifying earthquake I have ever felt, literally the whole building shook.”
One video that went viral captured a chandelier swinging wildly — a frightening visual that summed up the sheer intensity felt across the city.
Why Did Bangladesh’s Quake Hit Kolkata So Hard?
The epicentre was in Bangladesh, close to the India-Bangladesh border, which explains why tremors were widely felt in West Bengal. Kolkata’s soft alluvial soil amplifies seismic waves significantly, and the city’s thousands of high-rise buildings experience more shaking than ground-level structures. Understanding the seismic zones of India makes clear why Kolkata — sitting in Zone III — remains a city that must take earthquake preparedness seriously.
No aftershocks of the quake were immediately felt after the first bout of the shock, and there was no immediate report of any loss of life or damage to property. Wionews
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FAQs
Q: What was the magnitude of today’s Kolkata earthquake and where was the epicentre?
The earthquake measured 5.5 on the Richter Scale (NCS), with the epicentre in Nayabazar, Bangladesh — approximately 100 km from Kolkata — at a shallow depth of 10 km.
Q: Was anyone injured or killed in the Kolkata earthquake on February 27, 2026?
No casualties or property damage were reported — though widespread panic gripped the city as residents evacuated homes, offices, schools, and commercial buildings during the 10-second tremor.
