At least 54 killed in Indonesia earthquake
Emergency services search for survivors in collapsed buildings; authorities say no tsunami risk
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A strong undersea earthquake rocked Indonesia’s Aceh province early Wednesday, killing at least 54 people.
Maj. Gen. Tatang Sulaiman, the army chief of Aceh, said that 52 died in Pidie Jaya, the district closest to the epicenter of the undersea quake. Another two people died in the neighboring Bireuen district.
The national disaster mitigation agency says that at least 78 people suffered serious injuries from the magnitude-6.5 quake.
A frantic rescue effort is currently underway for survivors in districts nearest the epicenter.
A woman in the worst-hit district near the epicenter said she fled with her husband and children to a nearby hill after the quake jolted the family awake early Wednesday. They stayed there for several hours until authorities reassured them there was no tsunami risk.
Seaside resident Fitri Abidin in Pidie Jaya district said, “It terrified me. I was having difficulty breathing or walking.”
She said her husband grabbed her and carried her out of the house as their children were crying.
Abidin added, “We ran to a nearby hill, because our house is near a beach. We were afraid a tsunami can come at any time.”
The family’s house didn’t collapse, but the homes of some neighbors did. Abidin said she was traumatized because she believes three friends were buried in building collapses.
The US Geological Survey said that the earthquake, which struck at 5:03 a.m., was centered about 10 kilometers (6 miles) north off Reuleut, a town in northern Aceh, at a depth of 17 kilometers (11 miles).
The Times of Israel Community.