A strong earthquake hit Indonesia’s Aceh province Tuesday night killing up to 54 people with many wounded and others still trapped in debris.
The US Geological Survey said the shallow 6.4-magnitude quake was centred about six miles north of Reuleut, a town in northern Aceh.
It struck just after 5am local time (10pm Tuesday in the UK), causing dozens of buildings to collapse and sending terrified residents running onto the streets.
Indonesia’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Sutopo Nugroho said the death toll was expected to rise, as people are believed to be trapped in the debris of collapsed buildings.
He said there was severe damage to more than 200 shops or houses and a hospital.
Some 14 mosques have collapsed.
More than 70 people have been seriously injured, he added.
