3/28/99 North India Quake

Updated 4/1/99

An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.3 hit the Chamoli and Garhwal districts of Uttar Pradesh in India, in the foothills of the Himalayas, at 19:05 GMT 3/28/99. The epicenter was 190 miles north of Dehli. The quake was felt over a large area, as far away as Dehli.

Over 100 people have been reported dead, 300 injured and 5,00 homeless. The worst damage was caused by extensive landslides that buried whole families in their homes. A 5.3 magnitude aftershock at 21:02 GMT Wednesday March 30 caused some further damage but no more casualties.

The quake hit a seismically active region characterized by the collision of the Indian and Eurasian Tectonic Plates. Over the past several million years, India has travelled across the Indian Ocean from the vicinity of Madagascar. The collision with Eurasia is the force that has raised the Himalayas. (See the Plate Tectonics page for more information on these processes.)

Here is the USGS Bulletin with details of magnitude and location.

See also the following news stories:

• BBC Report - Indian Earthquake
• BBC Report - South Asia Quake Death Toll over 100
• CNN 3/29/99-Earthquake in North India kills dozens
• CNN 3/31/99-Fresh Tremor rocks Indian Foothills