The recent earthquake in the Bhuj region took a toll of at least 30,000 lives. In their Perspective, [ Gupta et al .][1] discuss what may be the cause of the large but infrequent earthquakes in this region, which is not near any tectonic plate boundary. The earthquake hazard in the region was well recognized before the disaster, however, and adherence to the building codes for high-risk areas may have prevented much human tragedy. [1]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/291/5511/2101