Midnight earthquakes shake Sikkim, Darjeeling, Siliguri; multiple aftershocks recorded

A series of earthquakes jolted Sikkim and large parts of north Bengal late Thursday night, with strong tremors felt across Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Siliguri. The sudden shaking triggered panic among residents, many of whom rushed out of their homes after midnight.

According to reports, the epicentre of the first earthquake was in the Galshing region of Sikkim. The National Center for Seismology said the tremor occurred at a depth of 10 kilometres and measured 4.5 on the Richter scale. The quake struck at 1:09 am and was felt across a wide area, including parts of Nepal and China.

Within minutes, aftershocks followed in quick succession. At 1:15 am, another tremor was recorded with its epicentre at a depth of 10 kilometres in Gangtok, measuring 3.1 on the Richter scale. The intensity of shaking was reported to be comparatively higher in regions such as Gangtok and Pelling, adding to the sense of alarm. Further tremors were recorded at 2:03 am in Mangan at a depth of 10 kilometres with a magnitude of 2.5, followed by another at 2:20 am in Namchi at a depth of 5 kilometres measuring 3.9. At around 2:30 am, tremors were also reported from Tibet, where the earthquake measured 4.5 on the Richter scale.