Indonesia earthquake leaves at least 97 dead

An earthquake off Indonesia’s northern Aceh province has killed at least 97 people with many more feared trapped beneath the rubble, say local officials.

The magnitude 6.5 quake struck just off the north-east coast of Sumatra Island.

“It was very, very strong, people felt it very strongly,” said Helen Vanwell, a Canadian serving as CARE’s country director in Indonesia in a phone interview from the country’s capital, Jakarta. “People ran from their houses, they ran for the hills because they thought there might be a tsunami following.”

(click to listen to the full interview with Helen Vanwell)

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The rescue effort involving thousands of villagers, soldiers and police is concentrated on Meureudu, a severely affected town in Pidie Jaya district.

Falling darkness, heavy rain, damaged roads and infrastructure are making the rescue effort even more difficult.

“And because in Indonesia much of the labour is still done by hand, there isn’t much equipment available,” Vanwell said. “Some of the electricity is out, so the lighting is very poor, it’s a really dire situation.”

CARE is coordinating closely with other organizations and will lead a joint assessment mission of four international aid organizations.

“We are leaving tomorrow to go to Aceh to have a look what the situation is and to see what the immediate needs are, to talk to people, but also to look at how we can support the government,” Vanwell said.

CARE has worked in Indonesia since 1967, and has responded to several emergencies, including the Boxing Day Tsunami in 2004, which killed more than 160,000 people in Indonesia alone.

Through its relief and recovery projects after the tsunami, CARE assisted more than 350,000 people in Banda Aceh and Aceh Besar, and on the island of Simeulue, said CARE spokesperson Darcy Knoll.

The government of Indonesia, especially since the 2004 tsunami, is well equipped to respond to emergencies, Vanwell said.

“But when emergencies are large like this one, assistance is always still welcome and needed,” she said. “In fact I know that in Indonesia people are already fundraising, but definitely international fundraising will also be required because there is a huge loss and damage in Aceh.”