Earthquake of magnitude 5.7 hits Bangladesh, tremors felt in Kolkata

The tremor triggered panic among the people even though there were no reports of any damage to properties or any injuries and casualties.

Tremors were felt in Kolkata after a magnitude 5.7 earthquake hit Bangladesh at 10:08am on Thursday, triggering panic, with people rushing out on the streets from their homes and offices. The India Meteorological Department said the epicentre of the earthquake was 10 km beneath the surface.

Representational image.

There were no reports of any damage to properties or casualties, even as social media was flooded with messages and videos.

The tremors also sparked a political war of words. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wrote on X: "West Bengal just felt earthquake tremors. @MamataOfficial, was it because of SIR?. The BJP tagged chief minister Mamata Banerjee in the X post, referring to the Special Intensive Review of the electoral roll ahead of the assembly polls in the state due next year.

The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), which has opposed the SIR, saying it was a ploy to disenfranchise sections of people, hit back. It said it was the "ground shaking beneath" the BJP's feet as it stared at an imminent defeat in the 2026 assembly elections.

"And don't worry, the Delhi Zamindars [landlords] won’t miss it either; the shockwaves will reach them," wrote the TMC, which has ruled West Bengal since 2011.