On Friday, there was a sudden panic among people in Kolkata and some of the neighbouring districts as powerful tremors of the earthquake were felt shaking the area, forcing them to flee out of their houses, offices and commercial premises. According to the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC), the epicentre of the quake was established in Bangladesh, which caused shockwave in the adjoining states of India which included West Bengal. Although the magnitude and depth of the earthquake are few cases that are officially confirmed, initial reports are that the shaking was very strong and was experienced in a lot of space.
Though the shaking is very strong, there are no recent reports of any structural damage or injuries. Nonetheless, the quake came out of the blue, and it triggered apprehension in residents, and most of them went to social media to share their experience. Even a few seconds of shaking would bring about panic among many users on X (previously Twitter).
A Kolkata resident, Supratim Maitra, wrote, “Small quake but big panic,” and how the momentous abruptness gave people scrambling out to the streets. While another user, Vinay Kumar Dokania, remarked by saying that the shaking was unusually very long adding, That earth quake lasted more than 30 seconds and it was very strong. His words reflected the feelings of many who felt the shaking going on in what seemed like a long period of time.
Disruption was also a temporary effect of the incidence as individuals moved out of the buildings and assembled elsewhere in the open spaces. There were sightings of the workers in the offices, shopkeepers and school staff members gathering outside as an extra precaution. Emergency services were on a standby and the authorities started observing the situation on the ground asking the residents to remain calm as more seismic data is gathered.
The quake, as authorities are still evaluating its effects and confirming the technical specifics of the disaster, and acts as a warning to the fragility of the region to earthquakes.
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