A strong earthquake struck off Pidie Jaya district in Aceh province, killing 102 people, injured over 1,000 and left more than 10,000 homeless, sparking a frantic rescue effort in the rubble of dozens of collapsed and damaged buildings. The rescue effort involving thousands of officials, villagers, soldiers and police was concentrated severely affected town in Pidie Jaya district near the epicentre of 6.5 magnitude quake.
6.5 magnitude quake was the biggest disaster to hit the province on the northern tip of Sumatra island since the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004, which killed more than 120,000 people in Aceh alone.