(Image source from: REUTERS)

Mild shaking was noticed in Kolkata and other areas of eastern India on Friday morning after a 5.7-magnitude quake happened in Bangladesh. The center of the earthquake, which took place at 10:08 am (IST), was located 10 kilometers east-southeast of Dhaka in Bangladesh, as reported by the National Center for Seismology (NCS). People living in Kolkata and nearby regions mentioned that they felt some light shaking and observed fans and wall decorations move slightly during the quake. Many residents in Kolkata and the surrounding areas went on social media to post videos of individuals leaving their homes and workplaces when the shaking occurred. They also shared footage capturing the moment when the earthquake happened, showing swinging fans and wall items. Shaking was felt in other regions of West Bengal, such as Dakshin and Uttar Dinajpur and Cooch Behar, as well as in other states like Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram. There have not been any reports of injuries or deaths linked to the earthquake so far.

On Thursday, a 3.9-magnitude earthquake hit Pakistan, according to a statement from the National Center for Seismology (NCS). The statement noted that the quake occurred at a shallow depth of 10 kilometers, which makes it likely to experience aftershocks. Shallow earthquakes are usually more hazardous than those that occur deeper underground. This is because the seismic waves from shallow quakes have a shorter distance to reach the surface, which can lead to more intense shaking and potentially more harm to buildings and higher casualty numbers. Afghanistan, Pakistan, and northern India sit in one of the world’s most active earthquake zones, where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates interact. This area frequently witnesses moderate to strong earthquakes that can often be felt across borders due to the closeness of fault lines.