Acheh earthquake kills one

An eight-year-old girl was killed and seven people injured by falling debris from destroyed houses when an earthquake measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale struck off Acheh, Indonesia Tuesday morning.

The girl was from Kampung Mane, in Pidie district, while the injured were from Kampung Mane, Kampung Pulo Loh and Kampung Leupu, also in the same district.

According to the Indonesian National Disaster Management Body (BNPB), the quake in Southwest of Acheh, which occurred at 5.22am, destroyed a number of houses in the district and damaged several others.

The quake occurred in the sea surrounding Penasi Island, located between Banda Aceh and Breureh Island, about 15km to the southwest of Banda Acheh city, at an approximate depth of 84km.

The five-second tremors were felt by residents in the vicinity of Lhoknga, Peukanbada and Ulelhee in Banda Acheh, causing panic and prompted the residents to flee their homes for safety, said BNPB.

Twenty-five minutes later, an aftershock measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale occurred in almost the same spot, at a depth of 16km, it added.