Earthquake refers to the sudden movement of the earth's crust due to the tectonic activities. There are various regions that are tectonically active such as the region of the divergent plate boundary, convergent boundary and transform plate boundary.
These plate boundaries are responsible for the generation of earthquakes of various intensities. A high magnitude earthquake can cause heavy damage to the properties and lives.
So, in order to avoid an earthquake and its effect, one must live away from these plate boundaries and should live in a tectonically stable area.