Earthquake In Kolkata: The earth shook in the vicinity of Bangladesh, a 5.5-magnitude earthquake in the morning of Friday had its epicenter in central Bangladesh resulting in the death of 6 at least and injuring many more as buildings shook in the capital city, Dhaka, causing the inhabitants to run out into the streets for safety.
The shallow focal depth of the quake was the reason for its wide reach, making people panic for a moment who were living far away from the epicentre and felt the ground vibrating.
According to reports, the earthquake was felt for a few seconds only from 10.08 to 10.10 am and its impact was felt in Kolkata, Malda, Nadia, Cooch Behar and many others besides the districts mentioned.
The first accounts coming in from the ravaged areas of Bangladesh have suggested that there is some structural damage and that the disruption is widespread. However, the authorities are still investigating the extent of the disaster. For Kolkata and certain areas in West Bengal, the primary encounter was the creepy feeling of tremors that came and went for several long seconds, leading to the evacuation of people living in multi-storey apartments.
Earthquake In Kolkata: Epicenter and Regional Seismic Risk
The US Geological Survey (USGS) reported that the shakes were experienced not only in West Bengal but also in various regions of Northeast India. It was mentioned by the USGS that the earthquake’s epicenter was in Ghorasal, Dhaka, and it occurred at a depth of 10 km.
The earthquake was of a relatively shallow depth which is very important in ascertaining the intensity of shaking at the surface and this has contributed to the intensification of the tremors felt in such places as Chittagong and, to the surprise of many, even in Kolkata that is quite distant. Bangladesh is located on fault lines that are very active, hence why it is vulnerable to such occurrences, and the shaking that results from such an event is further magnified in places where the ground is made up of soft alluvial soil, which is typical of the Bengal delta region.
Kolkata’s Tremor Experience and Safety Measures
The earthquake tremors resulted in a rapid response in Kolkata, where office and apartment dwellers evacuated to the streets, following the very basic earthquake safety measures.
Although the intense initial fear was silenced pretty quickly, the city and West Bengal’s nearby region officials disclosed that there were no incoming reports of major destruction and deaths, a good result which was partly linked to the distance from the epicenter and the geological condition which might have lessened the seismic waves. Nonetheless, the quake was still a powerful sign that the location was prone to tremors.
Precarious city sectors have already activated their emergency response teams and are in collaboration with their neighboring partners for monitoring any seismic waves and performing meticulous inspections of the critical infrastructures in keeping with the safety of the public in an area where the seismic activities are attributed to the nearby fault lines.
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A recent media graduate, Bhumi Vashisht is currently making a significant contribution as a committed content writer. She brings new ideas to the media sector and is an expert at creating strategic content and captivating tales, having working in the field from past four months.
