8 December 2016

By:  Brooke Whittemore

Earlier this week, a strong earthquake rocked Indonesia’s Aceh province, killing nearly 100 people and starting the frantic rescue effort in what was left of the collapsed and damaged buildings. The chief of the army in Aceh stated that at least 97 people died while at least four people were pulled from the rubble. This rescue effort required the help of thousands of villagers, soldiers and police. The biggest place affected was Meureudu. Tv footage showed the rescuers wearing orange uniforms while shining flashlights into the interiors of broken and damaged buildings, searching for any signs of life. Archipelago, Indonesia is prone to earthquakes because of its location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire” an arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Basin. The tsunami and earthquake in 2004 killed a total of 230,000 people in a dozen countries, most of them being in Aceh. In this recent earthquake, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency said that 273 people were injured, a quarter of them seriously injured. About 245 buildings were destroyed along with 14 mosques and shops during this disaster. The U.S Geological Survey showed the shallow 6.5 magnitude earthquake struck at 5:03 a.m. The agency had initially placed its epicenter undersea, but it showed no signs of a tsunami. A resident of Meureudu said in an interview, “It was very bad, the tremors felt even stronger than 2004 earthquake… I was so scared the tsunami was coming.” The director of Chik Ditiro General Hospital in Pidie Jaya said that the facility was damaged by the earthquake and was overwhelmed with numbers of injured people, many people were treated in tents pitched to the ground. He also said that five people died at the hospital because of serious injuries from the quake. President Joko “Jokowi” has ordered all government agencies to take part in the rescue efforts for Aceh. The Red Cross Indonesia has deployed the emergency response teams and has advertised bank accounts for donations. The International Organization for Migration said it has sent an assessment team to Aceh. Below are some images of the damage done in Indonesia this past Wednesday.

Oxfam Australia’s Humanitarian Manager Meg Quartermaine said in a statement Wednesday that bad weather conditions and nightfall had affected ongoing search and rescue missions. Their local partners in Aceh are continuing to carry out emergency assessments and distribute essential items. “We will be distributing hygiene kits and tarpaulins, and have emergency response experts on standby to travel to the worst affected areas if needed.” Additional medical personnel have gone to the region after the Pidie Jaya Hospital was damaged in the quake, which struck residents as they were preparing for early morning plans. In March, a magnitude-7.8 quake struck off the southwestern coast of Sumatra, but despite initial warnings, no tsunamis or deaths were registered as a result. Wednesday’s earthquake is Indonesia’s second major temblor this year and the most severe yet.