A magnitude 6.5 earthquake jolted the northernmost area of Sumatra, Indonesia, at 5:03 a.m. EST today, according to Boston-based catastrophe modeling firm AIR Worldwide.
The quake has strongly impacted Pidie Jaya district, with a population of about 150,000, in Aceh province. Shaking was felt in Banda Aceh as well as several provinces in Thailand, according to Thailand’s National Disaster Warning Center.
|At least 12 aftershocks
The epicenter was originally placed undersea, and a tsunami was feared, but this quake has not generated one. There have been at least 12 aftershocks reported.
Indonesia sits along the Pacific Ring of Fire, the seismically active fault line known for producing some of the strongest earthquakes in history,” said Dr. Bingming Shen-tu, assistant vice president at AIR Worldwide. “The devastating December 26, 2004, M9.1 to M9.3 Sumatra-Andaman earthquake occurred in the Sumatra subduction zone in the Sunda Trench, which roughly parallels the western side of the Indonesian island of Sumatra.”
|100 fatalities in Aceh province
Nearly 100 fatalities in Aceh province have been reported, as well as more than 600 injuries. These numbers will most likely rise, as rescue operations are in the early stages. President Joko Widodo has ordered all of Indonesia’s government agencies to participate in rescue efforts in Aceh province, which has a level of autonomy in Indonesia.
The Red Cross has also sent emergency response teams. The chief of Pidie Jaya district has called for more equipment to help remove debris, as well as emergency supplies. Hospitals in the district have been overwhelmed, and many of the injured have been moved to Sigli.
Insured losses from the Northern Sumatra earthquake are not expected to be significant, but the devastation has taken a heavy toll on people in the region.
Following are photos showing property damage and rescue efforts underway in the region:
Men inspect a collapsed mosque after an earthquake in Pidie Jaya, Aceh province, Indonesia. (Photo: Heri Juanda/AP Photo)
Rescuers recover the body of a victim from the rubble of a collapsed building. (Photo: Heri Juanda/AP Photo)
Women are reflected in a motorbike's mirror as they access the damaged building after an earthquake in Pidie Jaya, Aceh province, Indonesia. (Photo: Heri Juanda/AP Photo)
Rescuers recover the body of a victim from a collapsed building. A strong earthquake rocked Indonesia's Aceh province early on Wednesday, killing a large number of people and sparking a frantic rescue effort in the rubble of dozens of collapsed and damaged buildings. (Photo: Heri Juanda/AP Photo)
Rescuers use excavators to search for victims under the rubble of collapsed buildings. (Photo: Heri Juanda/AP Photo)
Rescuers use heavy machine to search for survivors under the rubble of a collapsed building. (Photo: Heri Juanda/AP Photo)
Rescuers search for victims of an earthquake under the rubble of a collapsed building in Pidie Jaya, Aceh province, Indonesia. (Photo: Heri Juanda/AP Photo)
Heavy equipments is used by rescuers to search for survivors under the rubble of a collapsed building in Pidi Jaya, Aceh province, Indonesia. (Photo: Heri Juanda/AP Photo)
A man removes a box from under the rubble of a building that collapsed after an earthquake in Pidie Jaya, Aceh province, Indonesia, Wednesday (Photo: Heri Juanda/AP Photo)
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Jayleen R. Heft
Jayleen Heft is the digital content editor for PropertyCasualty360.com. Contact her at [email protected].
