Maharashtra hit by 29 small quakes in fortnight, mostly in Nashik

Maharashtra has experienced a spate of small earthquakes over the past fortnight, with 29 tremors recorded, The Hindu reports. Of these, 24 occurred in and around Nashik, four in Palghar and one in Nagpur. The strongest quake, of magnitude 4.3, struck Nagpur on August 8, and all were shallow at depths of 5-8 km.

Seismologists describe this pattern as an earthquake swarm, a type of seismic activity Maharashtra has seen before. The quakes occur due to sudden movement along faults in the earth's crust, where friction prevents rock blocks from sliding past each other.

The swarm is ongoing, with authorities monitoring the situation. No significant damage or casualties have been reported from the events.