Kolkata Shaken by Distant 5.5 Magnitude Quake, Emergency Teams Kept on Alert

Bangladesh Earthquake Sends Strong Tremors across Kolkata, Offices Evacuated During Busy Friday Afternoon Hours

A sharp tremor from an earthquake in Bangladesh jolted Kolkata out of its Friday afternoon routine on 27 February 2026. The massive quake pushed office workers down staircases, emptying apartment towers and drawing anxious residents into open spaces. The quake, measured at around 5.4–5.5 magnitude, lasted only a few seconds but was strong enough to rattle windows, sway ceiling fans, and halt conversations mid-sentence.

In Salt Lake’s Sector V, employees abandoned their desks and gathered outside glass-fronted buildings. In housing complexes across New Town, Behala, and Lake Gardens, security guards urged residents to stay outdoors for a while. Shopkeepers stepped out onto pavements, looking up at signboards that continued to tremble even after the ground steadied.

A Working Day Interrupted

The tremor struck at peak office hours, amplifying the sense of alarm. A public event paused briefly as the ground shook. In several private offices, managers asked staff to evacuate as a precaution. Metro services ran normally, but commuters at platforms said they felt a faint vibration under their feet.

“My chair moved first. Then everyone realised at the same time and ran,” said a young professional in Sector V, still standing outside his office building nearly 15 minutes later. In many neighbourhoods, residents called relatives in other parts of the city to ask the same question: Did you feel it too?

No Damage, But Familiar Concerns Return

Officials reported no immediate casualties or major structural damage, and emergency teams stayed on alert. As videos and messages flooded social media, authorities urged people to rely on verified information.

Seismologists have long warned that Kolkata’s soft alluvial soil amplifies distant earthquakes, particularly those from Bangladesh and the eastern Himalayan region. Each tremor revives questions about the readiness of ageing buildings and the pace of vertical growth in the city.

After The Tremor, The Talk

By evening, traffic had reclaimed the roads and office canteens were full again, but the earthquake remained the day’s main topic, in tea stalls, elevators, and housing society courtyards. The fear had passed quickly; the reminder stayed longer.

Disaster-management officials say the city must treat such moments as drills in real time: follow seismic building codes, conduct regular evacuation exercises, and make residents aware of basic safety steps.

Friday’s tremor caused no visible damage, but it briefly exposed how fragile everyday life can be, and how a city of millions responds when the ground moves beneath it.