Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes – Global

6.5 Earthquake hits northern Sumatra, Indonesia.

A strong undersea earthquake rocked Indonesia's Aceh province early on Wednesday, killing nearly 100 people and sparking a frantic rescue effort in the rubble of dozens of collapsed and damaged buildings. The National Disaster Mitigation Agency said 273 people were injured, about a quarter of them seriously. Some 245 buildings were seriously damaged or destroyed, mostly in Pidie Jaya, including 14 mosques and the remainder largely dwellings and shop houses. Roads also cracked and power poles toppled over. There is an urgent need for excavation equipment to move heavy debris and emergency supplies.

The US Geological Survey said the shallow 6.5-magnitude earthquake that struck at 05:03 (22:03 GMT on Tuesday) was centred about 10km north of Reuleut, a town in northern Aceh, at a depth of 17km. It did not generate a tsunami.

For Acehnese, the quake was another terrifying reminder of their region's vulnerability to natural disasters. More than 100 000 people died in Aceh after the December 26, 2004, earthquake triggered a devastating tsunami.

6.2 Earthquake hits Tobago, Trinidad-Tobago.

5.0 Earthquake hits Fiji.

5.0 Earthquake hits the Kermedec Islands.