The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 5.5 Earthquake at a depth of 25.2 km, in Bajura District, Nepal slightly before 2.00 pm local time, (slightly 9.00 am GMT) on Tuesday 24 January 2023. The event was felt as far away as New Delhi in India, and is known to have killed at least one, with several more injured and about 40 houses damaged or destroyed. The single Human fatality is reported to be a woman who was struck by a rock while gathering fodder on a hillside. Several Cattle and other farm Animals are also reported to have been killed.
Earthquake activity in Nepal is caused by the uplift of the Tibetan Plateau, due to the impact of India into Eurasia to the south. he Indian Plate is moving northwards at a rate of 5 cm per year, causing it to impact into Eurasia, which is also moving northward, but only at a rate of 2 cm per year. The collision of the Indian and Eurasian plates has lead to the formation of the Himalayan Mountains, the Tibetan Plateau, and the mountains of southwest China, Central Asia and the Hindu Kush.
Much of northern India and neighbouring areas of Central Asia and the Himalayas, are prone to Earthquakes caused by the impact of the Indian Plate into Eurasia from the south. When two tectonic plates collide in this way and one or both are oceanic then one will be subducted beneath the other (if one of the plates is continental then the other will be subducted), but if both plates are continental then subduction will not fully occur, but instead the plates will crumple, leading to folding and uplift (and quite a lot of Earthquakes). The collision of the Indian and Eurasian plates has lead to the formation of the Himalayan Mountains, the Tibetan Plateau, and the mountains of southwest China, Central Asia and the Hindu Kush.
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