At least 25 die in Indonesia as earthquake topples buildings

JAKARTA, Indonesia — A strong undersea earthquake rocked Indonesia’s province of Aceh early Wednesday, causing at least 25 deaths and buildings to collapse in a district near the epicenter.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the shallow 6.4-magnitude earthquake that struck at 5:03 a.m. was centered about 6 miles north of Reuleut, a town in northern Aceh, at a depth of 11 miles.

Indonesia’s Climate, Meteorology and Geophysics Agency said the quake has no potential to trigger a tsunami.

Sulaiman, a local disaster official, told local MetroTV that a woman and her two children were killed in Pidie Jaya, 11 miles southwest of the epicenter.

He said several mosques in Pidie Jaya collapsed as well as stores, houses and other buildings. Heavy equipment has been deployed for the effort to search for survivors.

Zian Muttaqien / AFP/Getty Images Indonesian residents gather outside a damaged mosque, its minaret reduced to rubble after an earthquake caused it to fall, in Pidie, Aceh province.