President dispatches disaster team as 7.6 quake hits Aceh

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has received a report that Aceh has been hit by a magnitude 7.6 earthquake, and has instructed the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) to provide immediate assistance, the Presidential spokesman says.

“The President has instructed the BNPB to handle it,” Julian Aldrin Pasha said Wednesday as quoted by tempo.co, adding that the Office of the Coordinating Minister for People’s Welfare had also been asked to cooperate in the task.

He said that, based on the latest report received by the Presidential Office, the disaster had not caused any casualties.

“As of this morning, a team from the BNPB was still monitor [the disaster area]. Their report said that there had not been any victims yet,” he said.

Julian added that the President had expressed concern and his condolences on the disaster.

The quake shook Aceh and its surrounding areas at about 1:36 a.m. and was followed by at least three aftershocks with magnitudes of 5.0 on the Richter scale. (awd)