"The evacuation of victims is still underway, and now, we are giving (rescue teams) a briefing first," M Husain of the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) said.
Search and rescue efforts are being focused on finding victims believed to be trapped under the debris of collapsed buildings.
So far, the death toll has reached 103, while some 8 thousand others were slightly or seriously injured in the natural disaster.
The victims are residents of the sub-districts of Pante Raja, Bandar Dua, Tringgadeng, Meureudu, Bandar Baru, and Alee Glee. the
The earthquake, which destroyed several houses, school buildings, and places of worship, occurred at 5:03 a.m. local time on Wednesday, with its epicenter at 5.19 degrees northern latitude and 96.36 degrees eastern longitude, at a depth of 10 kilometers on land, some 18 km northeast of Pidie Jaya, or 120 km of Banda Aceh, the capital of Aceh Province.
In the mean time, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has ordered the reconstruction of the few mosques destroyed in the magnitude-6.5 earthquake .
"I have seen the condition of the mosque and have decided that it will be rebuilt jointly, starting tomorrow," Jokowi said after visiting At Taurrub Mosque in Trienggadeng Sub-district, Pidie Jaya, Friday.
The At Taurrub Mosque was seriously damaged in the earthquake.
A number of children greeted the president by singing the song "Who Owns Jokowi," led by Kak Seto Mulyadi, a prominent activist for the protection of children, in the front yard of the mosque.
The Social Affairs Ministry has set up an emergency response command post in the yard.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2016
