Residents across Darjeeling and adjoining areas of North Bengal experienced a sudden pre-dawn scare early Thursday morning after an earthquake measuring 4.9 on the Richter scale rattled the region at around 4:30 AM.
According to data released by the National Centre for Seismology (NCS), the tremor occurred at 4:30:29 AM IST at a depth of 73 kilometres, with its epicentre located in Nepal. The seismic activity was strong enough to send noticeable vibrations across multiple districts of North Bengal as well as neighbouring parts of Sikkim.
Caught off guard while most households were still asleep, many residents—particularly those living in multi-storeyed buildings—rushed out of their homes into open spaces as a precaution. Social media platforms quickly filled with accounts from locals in Darjeeling, Siliguri, and surrounding hill towns describing shaking furniture and rattling windows.
Despite the intensity of the early morning jolt, disaster management officials and local administration confirmed that no immediate reports of casualties, injuries, or major structural damage have been received from Darjeeling or nearby areas.
District authorities remain on alert and are closely monitoring the situation across vulnerable hill pockets to ensure public safety.
