A Magnitude 4.4 Earthquake at a depth of 38.2 km occurred close to the small town of Daulatpur in southern Himachal Pradesh Province, India, slightly before 3.45 pm local time (slightly before 10.15 am GMT) on Thursday 29 August 2013, according to the United Stated Geological Survey. There are no reports of any damage or casualties arising from this quake, but it was reportedly felt across much of southern Himachal Pradesh and neighbouring areas of Punjab.
The approximate location of the 29 August 2013 Daulatpur Earthquake. Google Maps.
Himachal Pradesh is in the Himalayas, on the boundary between the Indian and Eurasian Plates. India is pushing northwards into the Eurasian Plate at a rate of about 5 cm per year, causing folding and uplift along the boundary, which has created the Himalayas, Tibetan Plateau and mountain ranges of Central Asia. This is not a smooth motion, the rocks of the boundary resist the movement, then give way as the pressure builds up, leading to frequent Earthquakes.
See also Officials attacked by illegal sand-miners in Himachal Pradesh, At least two people killed by Kashmir Earthquake, Earthquake rattles Assam, northeast India, New Delhi shaken by Earthquake and Himalayan Earthquake. 18 September 2011.
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