Kolkata earthquake: 5.1 magnitude quake hits Bay of Bengal, tremors felt in Kolkata, other places

On Tuesday morning, a magnitude 5.1 earthquake shook the Bay of Bengal, sending shockwaves over Kolkata and sections of West Bengal. According to the National Center for Seismology (NCS), the earthquake struck around 6:10 a.m. The earthquake was registered close to Puri in Odisha, an official from the India Meteorological Department informed. According to the official, the quake struck the Bay of Bengal at a depth of 91 kilometers.

He noted that the tremor was detected near latitude 19.52 N and longitude 88.55 E. There have been no initial reports of damage or injuries, despite the fact that the earthquake vibrations briefly alarmed Kolkata residents.

“EQ of M: 5.1, On: 25/02/2025 06:10:25 IST, Lat: 19.52 N, Long: 88.55 E, Depth: 91 Km, Location: Bay of Bengal,” the NCS posted on X.

Numerous others shared their experiences on social media, with some talking of the unexpected shocks they experienced in the early hours of the morning. As people talked about the effects and checked on the safety of others, hashtags associated with the earthquake momentarily trended.

Kolkata has a moderate risk of earthquakes because it is located in Seismic Zone III. The city is occasionally shaken by earthquakes, albeit not as frequently as regions like Gujarat, the Himalayas, or Northeast India. Rather than faults directly under Kolkata, these often originate from seismic activity in neighboring areas like the Bay of Bengal, Nepal, or North-East India.

On Sunday, a moderately strong earthquake struck Mandi district in Himachal Pradesh at 8:42 a.m. Officials reported that tremors were experienced in certain areas of the district, but there were no reports of casualties or damage to property. As per the MeT office, the earthquake registered a magnitude of 3.7, with its epicentre situated at 31.48 degrees latitude and 76.95 degrees longitude in the Mandi area.   The MeT office reported that the earthquake hit close to Kiargi in the Sundernagar area at a depth of 7 km. The Mandi district is located in seismic zone 5, identified as a high-risk area for damage.