Two earthquakes hit Indonesian province of Aceh back-to-back

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) measured the quakes at magnitude 5.1 and 5.6.

Two earthquakes hit Indonesian province of Aceh, causes injuries and damage
A woman drives her motorcycle past a section of road damaged following this week's strong earthquake in Pidie Jaya, Aceh province, Indonesia, December 10, 2016. Reuters

Two strong earthquakes struck off the Indonesian province of Aceh on Thursday in an area that was devastated by a massive earthquake in December, destroying houses and causing a number of injuries.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) measured the quakes at magnitude 5.1 and 5.6. Associated Press reported that while the first quake hit the province at around 3 am, the other one struck the same place shortly after.

According to the Indonesian Red Cross, at least nine people were injured in Trianggadeng district and two houses collapsed in Pidie Jaya, which is near the epicenter. Several other areas were affected due to power disruption.

The meteorology and geophysics agencies of Indonesia said there was no potential for a tsunami from Thursday's quakes.

On Dec 7, a 6.6 magnitude earthquake killed more than 100 people and destroyed or damaged more than 11,000 buildings, mostly homes.

Indonesia, the world's largest archipelago, sits on the seismically active Pacific "Ring of Fire", where tectonic plates collide, and the region experiences frequent earthquakes. The 2004 earthquake and tsunami had killed a total of 230,000 people in a dozen countries, most of them in Aceh.

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