A magnitude 6.5 earthquake jolted the northernmost area ofSumatra, Indonesia, at 5:03 a.m. EST today, according toBoston-based catastrophemodeling firm AIR Worldwide.

The quake has strongly impacted Pidie Jaya district, with apopulation of about 150,000, in Aceh province. Shaking was felt inBanda Aceh as well as several provinces in Thailand, according toThailand’s National Disaster Warning Center.

At least 12 aftershocks

The epicenter was originally placed undersea, and a tsunami wasfeared, but this quake has not generated one. There have been atleast 12 aftershocks reported.

Indonesia sits along the Pacific Ring of Fire, the seismicallyactive fault line known for producing some of the strongestearthquakes in history,” said Dr. Bingming Shen-tu, assistant vicepresident at AIR Worldwide. “The devastating December 26, 2004,M9.1 to M9.3 Sumatra-Andaman earthquake occurred in the Sumatrasubduction zone in the Sunda Trench, which roughly parallels thewestern side of the Indonesian island of Sumatra.”

100 fatalities in Aceh province

Nearly 100 fatalities in Aceh province have been reported, aswell as more than 600 injuries. These numbers will most likelyrise, as rescue operations are in the early stages. President Joko Widodo has ordered all of Indonesia’sgovernment agencies to participate in rescue efforts in Acehprovince, which has a level of autonomy in Indonesia.

The Red Cross has also sent emergency response teams. The chiefof Pidie Jaya district has called for more equipment to help removedebris, as well as emergency supplies. Hospitals in the districthave been overwhelmed, and many of the injured have been moved toSigli.

Insured losses from the Northern Sumatra earthquake are notexpected to be significant, but the devastation has taken a heavytoll on people in the region.

Following are photos showing property damage and rescue effortsunderway in the region:

Men inspect a collapsed mosque after an earthquake in PidieJaya, Aceh province, Indonesia. (Photo: Heri Juanda/APPhoto)

Rescuers recover the body of a victim from the rubble of acollapsed building. (Photo: Heri Juanda/APPhoto)

Women are reflected in a motorbike's mirror as they accessthe damaged building after an earthquake in Pidie Jaya, Acehprovince, Indonesia. (Photo: Heri Juanda/AP Photo)

Rescuers recover the body of a victim from a collapsedbuilding. A strong earthquake rocked Indonesia's Aceh provinceearly on Wednesday, killing a large number of people and sparking afrantic rescue effort in the rubble of dozens of collapsed anddamaged buildings. (Photo: Heri Juanda/AP Photo)

Rescuers use excavators to search for victims under therubble of collapsed buildings. (Photo: Heri Juanda/APPhoto)

Rescuers use heavy machine to search for survivors under therubble of a collapsed building. (Photo: Heri Juanda/APPhoto)

Rescuers search for victims of an earthquake under therubble of a collapsed building in Pidie Jaya, Aceh province,Indonesia. (Photo: Heri Juanda/AP Photo)

Heavy equipments is used by rescuers to search for survivorsunder the rubble of a collapsed building in Pidi Jaya, Acehprovince, Indonesia. (Photo: Heri Juanda/AP Photo)

A man removes a box from under the rubble of a building thatcollapsed after an earthquake in Pidie Jaya, Aceh province,Indonesia, Wednesday (Photo: Heri Juanda/AP Photo)

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