MEUREUDU, Indonesia — A strong undersea earthquake rocked Indonesia’s Aceh province early on Wednesday, killing at least 54 people and sparking a frantic rescue effort in the rubble of dozens of collapsed and damaged buildings.
Maj. Gen. Tatang Sulaiman, chief of the army in Aceh province, said 52 people have died in Pidie Jaya, the district closest to the epicenter. Another two people died in neighboring Bireuen district.
The rescue effort involving hundreds of villagers, soldiers and police is concentrated on Meureudu, a severely affected town in Pidie Jaya district.
