December 6, 2016 Earthquake: Pidie Jaya, Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia

Name: December 6, 2016 Earthquake: Pidie Jaya, Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia
Start: 2016-12-06
Location: Pidie Jaya, Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia

December 6, 2016 · M6.5 · 104 deaths · $100 million · 245 houses destroyed

A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck Pidie Jaya, Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia on December 6, 2016 at 22:03:33 UTC, 13 km below the surface. It killed 104 people.

Map

Where it struck, with the other significant earthquakes within 200 km. Circles are sized and colored by magnitude; select one for its page.

The earthquake

Date: December 6, 2016
Time: 22:03:33 UTC
Place: Pidie Jaya, Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia
Magnitude: 6.5 (Mw)
Focal depth: 13 km (8 mi)
Intensity: 8 on the Modified Mercalli scale
Tsunami: None recorded
Epicenter: 5.283° N, 96.168° E
Country: Indonesia

The toll

Deaths: 104
Injuries: 857
Damage: $100 million
Houses destroyed: 245
Houses damaged: 18,752

Where the literature gives no number, NCEI records a description on a scale of 1 to 4, printed here in its words. Damage is in millions of US dollars of the year of the event, not adjusted for inflation.

What the record says

NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.

At least 104 people killed, 1,273 injured, 85,256 displaced and 18,752 buildings destroyed or damaged in Aceh. Felt (VIII) in Kabupaten Pidie Jaya, Kecamatan Dewantara and at Sigli; (VI) at Bireun and Samalanga; (V) at Lhokseumawe and Banda Aceh; (IV) at Meulaboh. Also felt at Langsa, Medan, Sabang and Sibolga. Felt (III) at George Town, Kuah and Sungai Ara, Malaysia. Also felt at Alor Setar, Butterworth, Petaling Jaya, Tanjung Bunga and Tanjung Tokong. Felt (III) at Kathu, Phangnga and Phuket, Thailand. Also felt at Bangkok, Kantang and Trang. Dewantara, Aceh, Indonesia - CDI: 8; Bireun, Aceh, Indonesia - CDI: 6; Lhokseumawe, Aceh, Indonesia - CDI: 5; Sabang, Aceh, Indonesia - CDI: 5; Banda Aceh, Aceh, Indonesia - CDI: 5 (reference #13456)

Maj. Gen. Tatang Sulaiman, chief of the army in Aceh province, said at least 97 died while four people were pulled from the rubble alive. Another four or five are known to be buried, but he didn't say if they were dead or alive... The rescue effort involving thousands of search officials, villagers, soldiers and police is concentrated on Meureudu, a severely affected town in Pidie Jaya district near the epicenter... The province's disaster mitigation agency said more than 600 people were injured. The national disaster agency said some 245 buildings were seriously damaged or destroyed, mostly in Pidie Jaya, including 14 mosques. The rest were mainly dwellings and shop houses. Roads also cracked and power poles toppled over. (reference #11683)

As of 06:00 am today, the BNPB reported that the death toll remains at 101 and 93 bodies were positively identified. The Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) team is continuously working to identify the rest of the victims. A total of 857 individuals were injured and 65,064 people displaced. Infrastructure damages are 11,668 houses, 10 government offices, 161 shophouses, 64 mosques, 16 schools, 3 markets and 50 bridges.(reference #11701)

Based on latest report, dated 20 December 2016, the earthquake has caused 104 deaths and damaged 18,752 houses in total. (reference #11943)

100,000,000 USD in total damages (reference #1250)

Other significant earthquakes nearby

Within 200 km, the deadliest first.

Significant earthquakes of 2016 The 2000s Every quake the USGS located in 2016 Recent earthquakes near here This day in weather history

Sources

Significant earthquakes from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Hazard Database, cited as NCEI/WDS, doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Public domain. Read 2026-09-24. NCEI earthquake 10215.