President Jokowi also received reports from officials who had earlier come to Aceh to directly monitor the handling of the effects of the earthquake that hit Pidie Jaya and its surrounding areas early Wednesday morning.
The meeting, which started at 7.15pm, was attended by Health Minister Nila Moeloek, Housing and Public Works Minister Basuki Hadimuljono, Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung, the Commander of the Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI), General Gatot Nurmantyo, Indonesia Police chief General Tito Karnavian, presidential chief staff Teten Masduki, presidential communication team member Ari Dwipayana and acting governor of Aceh Soedarmo.
Teten Masduki who was sent to Aceh immediately after reports reached said that 102 people had been killed in the disaster while one person had gone missing, 103 had been seriously injured, 616 had suffered minor injuries, and 10,029 were evacuated to 28 shelters in three districts.
"The disaster has affected Pidie Jaya, Bireun and Pidie districts," he said.
In Pidie Jaya, 105 shop houses had collapsed, 12,560 houses had suffered heavy or minor damage, and 49 mosques had collapsed. The Pidie regional hospital had been heavily damaged, several street sections were damaged, and electricity poles were down.
In Bireun, 41 houses had suffered heavy or minor damage, a mosque and a school building had suffered heavy damage, and a rice refinery had also been damaged.
The earthquake, measuring 6.5 on the Richter scale, hit Pidie Jaya at around 5.36am on Wednesday, according to the Meteorology, Geophysics and Climatology Agency.
Its epicenter was on land 106 km southeast of Banda Aceh at a depth of 15km.
President Joko Widodo arrived in Banda Aceh, the capital of Naggroe Aceh Darussalam province, at around 5.30pm on Thursday and proceeded immediately to visit the wounded being treated at the Zainal Abidin Hospital.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
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