On Tuesday night, February 3, 2026, a strong earthquake measuring around magnitude 5.9 struck Myanmar, shaking the ground enough to be felt far beyond its borders. The seismic event happened at about 9:05 PM Indian Standard Time, and its epicentre was located near Akyab (Sittwe) in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, according to seismological data. The quake was recorded at a shallow depth of around 10 kilometres, which made the shaking stronger at the surface.
Reports say that people in Kolkata and several parts of West Bengal felt the tremors clearly. Many residents reported that their ceiling fans and furniture swayed, and some people rushed out of their homes and office buildings for safety. According to reports, one resident from a high-rise in New Town said, “One morning, I was sitting on my sofa and had a sudden, dizzying sway. The light fixtures started to shake, and we dashed down the stairs right away.”
Shallow Depth Increased Impact of Earthquake
Tremors were also felt in Bangladesh around the same time, especially in Dhaka and other regions, causing people there to feel the ground shake. According to the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC), the quake hit about 70 miles east of Sittwe, and was felt across both countries due to its strength and shallow depth.
Despite the intensity of the shaking, there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties in either Kolkata or Bangladesh after the quake. Officials and seismological centres said that while the tremors were powerful, they did not yet show clear signs of major destruction.
Bangladesh And Kolkata Also Shaken
This earthquake in Myanmar was not an isolated event. Reports noted that it was the third shake felt in the region over the last 71 hours, as smaller quakes have hit nearby areas in recent days.
On social media, many people from Kolkata shared their experiences of the tremors. Some wrote that they felt the shaking last only a few seconds, while others described the ground moving beneath them, causing brief panic and confusion. A few joked that they wondered if it was just their mind playing tricks, but many confirmed it was definitely an earthquake.
No Immediate Damage Reported
Even though no serious damage was reported, the number of people who felt the quake shows how a powerful underground shake in one country can be felt hundreds of kilometres away.
Authorities in the affected regions are still watching and gathering more information about any possible impact.
