Several Dead after Earthquake Hits Aceh, Indonesia

A mosque collapsed due to the earthquake that rocked Aceh Wednesday morning, BNPB photo.

A mosque collapsed after an earthquake rocked Aceh on Wednesday morning.

Jakarta, 07 Rabi’ul Awwal 1438/07 December 2016 (MINA) – Four people were killed, at least 1 injured and scores of houses, buildings were damaged as magnitude-6.4 quake hit Aceh province on Wednesday, reports China’s Xinhua news agency quoting media official at provincial disaster agency.

Meanwhile Reuters reported that dozens of buildings collapsed when the earthquake struck in the early hours.

“The earthquake was felt strongly and many people panicked and rushed outdoors as houses collapsed,” Sutopo Nugroho of the national disaster management agency (BNPB) said in a statement.

Social media images showed buildings reduced to rubble, fallen electricity poles, and people gathering outside at street corners.

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The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said the quake struck at a depth of 17 km (11 miles) on Aceh’s northeastern coast. No tsunami warning was issued.

At least five aftershocks were felt in the hours after the initial quake, the disaster management agency said.

The region suffered massive destruction in 2004 when a quake of magnitude 9.2 triggered a tsunami that wiped out entire communities in Indonesia and other countries around the Indian Ocean.

Indonesia was the hardest hit, with more than 120,000 people killed in Aceh alone. (T/R07/R01)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agecy (MINA)