The epicenter of the 6.6 Mw earthquake was located in Nepal, northwest of Khaptad National Park.

The India and Eurasian plates began colliding approximately 50 million years ago when the Tethys Ocean closed.

These faults runs for approximately 2,300 km in an east–west direction, parallel to the southern foothills of the Lower Himalayan Range from Assam, through Nepal, and into Pakistan.

This major thrust fault dips to the north, beneath the Himalaya at a shallow angle.

The Uttarakhand and west Nepal segment of the MHT was responsible for the Mw  7.8 1803 Garhwal earthquake as well as two smaller but deadly events in 1991 and 1999.

The report concluded that weak foundations and haphazard construction practices were responsible for the extensive damage observed.

The Rastriya Samachar Samiti (RSS) reported 12 district official and 21 village buildings, as well as 65 temples were also destroyed.

The earthquake occurred during the monsoon season which further affected communications and transport services in the aftermath due to landslides.