What caused the 2008 Sichuan earthquake?

The 2008 Sichuan earthquake was caused by seismic activities that focused along the Longmenshan fault, a massive fault structure located between the Eurasian Plate and the Indo-Australian Plate. This caused a rupture along the fault, displacing land by up to 9 meters over approximately 90 seconds.

The earthquake affected much of Asia, including mainland China, Taiwan, Macau, Hong Kong, Thailand, Vietnam, India, Pakistan and Mongolia. Up to 104 major aftershocks were felt in the three days after the earthquake, with magnitudes ranging from 4.0 to 6.1. Nearly 70,000 people died as a result of the earthquake, with approximately 68,000 deaths in Sichuan province alone.