President Orders BNPB To Monitor Situation In Aceh

Malang, E Java, Jan 11 (ANTARA) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has ordered the National Agency for Natural Disaster Mitigation (BNPB) to monitor the situation in Aceh Darussalam following an earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter Scale that had hit the province. "The president has instructed the BNPB to monitor the situation in Aceh," Julian A Pasha, a presidential spokesman, said here, Wednesday. The head of state had received a report about the earthquake before he left for East Java for a working visit. "The president is concerned, the disaster in Aceh needs proper handling," he said. "According to information received this morning, there were no casualties in the disaster," he said. An earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter Scale rocked Aceh at 1.35 am WIB on Wednesday, causing hundreds of local residents living in coastal areas to rush to higher ground in fear of a possible tsunami. The epicenter of the magnitude-7.6 earthquake was located at 2.32 degrees northern latitude and 92.82 degrees eastern longitude, at a depth of 10 km below sea level, and around 388 km southwest of Meulaboh, Aceh. The earthquake was felt by local residents in Banda Aceh at III-IV MMI (Modified Mercalli Intensity). Following the earthquake, the province was jolted by aftershocks with a magnitude of respectively 5.0 on the Richter Scale at 2.02 am WIB and 5.4 on the Richter Scale at 4.00 am local time.