Caroline McLoughlin

Aceh, Indonesia- A terrible earthquake struck Aceh, Indonesia, earlier this week. With a magnitude of 6.5, at least 100 people were killed and over 130 were severely injured.

In the district of Pidie Jaya, the quake damaged shops, homes, and mosques, completely devastating hundreds of the structures. Even the Pidie Jaya district hospital was damaged in the early morning.  

Dozens of rescue crews were sent out in search of any survivors that were left in the rubble. Knowing that the death toll could still rise, the National Board for Disaster spokesman, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho released a statement about the situation.

“Now our priority is the search and rescue operation. We have to move so fast to save them.”

While there has not been a tsunami warning issued yet, many people have been heading to the hilly areas in fear of a tsunami. Indonesia is in the Pacific ring of fire, making it earthquakes in this region much more common but not any less impactful.

Sadly, the death toll of the earthquake has gone up, but our prayers and hearts go out to those in Aceh, Indonesia.