Myanmar earthquake jolts Kolkata

Kolkata: Two tremors, a strong one at 9.05 pm and the second at 10.10 pm, triggered by an earthquake and its aftershock in Myanmar jolted the city on Tuesday evening, prompting residents in some high-rises and offices to step out. The shake-up took social media by storm, with people exchanging anxious messages to enquire if their kin, friends and acquaintances were alright. Till reports last came in, no damage was reported. It was 9.05 pm when Kolkatans across the city felt the first tremor. Most residents felt the ground shake for a few seconds. Those indoors saw ceiling fans shaking. Tremors were also reported from other parts of south Bengal and neighbouring Bangladesh. The second vibration was felt at 10.10 pm. Regional Meteorological Centre, Kolkata confirmed both tremors.
"I was watching TV while sitting on a chair and suddenly I felt like someone was pushing my chair from behind. I stood up and realised the floor was also shaking. Some of our neighbours even came out on the road," said Rima Sur Chowdhury, a resident of Behala."I was in an online meeting when the bed began shaking inside my room. I stopped speaking. I thought I had imagined things before my father watched the news and confirmed it was an earthquake," said Asis Munshi, a resident of Netaji Nagar. The epicentre of the magnitude 6 earthquake lay near the port city of Sittwe, the capital of Rakhine province in Myanmar. Sittwe is located around 540 km south-east of Kolkata across the Bay of Bengal. Seismologists said the quake took place at a depth of 27 km. The 5.3 magnitude aftershock was reported at a depth of 20 km.The city last experienced a tremor when an earthquake of magnitude 5.7 struck near Dhaka last Nov. The tremor, lasting a few seconds, was felt at 10.10 am.