An undersea earthquake off Indonesia's northern Aceh province has killed at least 52 people.

The magnitude 6.5 quake struck just off the north-east coast of the Sumatra Island, where dozens of buildings have collapsed and many people are feared trapped under rubble.

Indonesia’s meteorological agency, however, said there was no risk of a tsunami, reports the BBC.

In 2004, Aceh was devastated by a tsunami that killed more than 160,000 people in Indonesia alone.

The US Geological Survey said the earthquake struck just offshore at 05:03 local time (22:03 GMT Tuesday) at a depth of 17.2km.

At least 70 people have been seriously injured, officials said, and hundreds of minor injuries have been reported.

A spokesman for the national disaster agency said more than 200 shops and homes had been destroyed, along with 14 mosques. A hospital and school were also badly damaged.

Said Mulyadi, deputy district chief of Pidie Jaya, the region hit hardest by the quake, told the BBC's Indonesian service that the death toll could rise.
** 18 killed as 6.5 scale quake hits Indonesia

BDST: 1501 HRS, DEC 07, 2016
SR