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All registered Singaporeans in Aceh are safe: MFA

SINGAPORE — There are no known cases of Singaporeans affected by the quake in Aceh on Wednesday (Dec 7), said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) in a statement.

People survey the damage after dozens of buildings collapsed following a 6.5 magnitude earthquake in Ule Glee, Pidie Jaya in the northern province of Aceh, Indonesia December 7, 2016. Photo: Reuters

People survey the damage after dozens of buildings collapsed following a 6.5 magnitude earthquake in Ule Glee, Pidie Jaya in the northern province of Aceh, Indonesia December 7, 2016. Photo: Reuters

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SINGAPORE — There are no known cases of Singaporeans affected by the quake in Aceh on Wednesday (Dec 7), said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) in a statement.

All Singaporeans in the area who had registered with the ministry have been contacted and are safe, said the MFA, adding that it is in touch with local authorities to monitor the situation.

A shallow 6.5-magnitude quake rocked Pidie Jaya district in Aceh province at dawn on Wednesday morning, causing buildings to collapse and leaving countless people homeless and in need of basic supplies like food and water. At around 5.30pm (Singapore time), the Indonesian military said the death toll had reached 97, as more bodies were pulled from the rubble of scores of shattered buildings.

"Singapore is shocked by the tragic loss of lives and serious damage caused by the earthquake...  The Government of Singapore expresses our deepest condolences to the Government of Indonesia and the families of the victims in this time of grief," said a spokesman from the MFA. 

 On Wednesday night, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it would be deploying two officers to Aceh as part of a five-man ASEAN Emergency Response and Assessment Team. The two SCDF officers will depart for Indonesia on Thursday and are expected to be there for a week. They will join in providing rapid assessment and determining the critical resources required for the affected areas.

The sole hospital in Pidie Jaya was quickly overwhelmed following the earthquake, with patients treated on the grass out front or sent to neighbouring districts with better facilities, reported AFP.

“We are treating people outside. We took the beds out because nobody is daring enter the hospital,” said district health office chief Said Abdullah. He added that nearly 200 injured people have arrived at hospital since the quake.

Indonesian seismologists said the latest earthquake was felt across much of Aceh province, with many aftershocks following the initial tremor.

The US Geological Survey upgraded the magnitude to 6.5 from an initial reading of 6.4 and issued a yellow alert for expected fatalities and damage.

Aceh lies on the northern tip of Sumatra island, which is particularly prone to quakes.

In June, a 6.5-magnitude quake struck off the west of Sumatra, damaging scores of buildings and injuring eight people. WITH AGENCIES

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