Indonesia quake toll jumps to 97

MEUREUDU: The death toll from a powerful earthquake that struck western Indonesia today has nearly doubled to 97, the military said, as more bodies were pulled from the rubble of scores of shattered buildings.

The shallow 6.5-magnitude quake struck Pidie Jaya district in Aceh province at dawn as many in the mainly Muslim region on Sumatra island were preparing for morning prayers.

The death toll has steadily climbed as rescue crews search, often by hand, through the homes, mosques and shops reduced to ruins.

The earlier figure of 52 dead was revised up significantly by the Indonesian military, which has taken over responsibility for the search and rescue operation.

“So far 97 people have been killed and the number keeps growing,” Aceh military chief Tatang Sulaiman told reporters.

“When we retrieve bodies sometimes there's five, sometimes 10 corpses.”

More than 1,000 soldiers and about 900 police have been deployed to the worst-hit areas to set up shelters and evacuation points, he added.

Hundreds of houses and shops had been levelled by the quake, leaving countless people homeless and in need of basic supplies like food and water, officials said. (AGENCIES)