Jarkata 7 Dec (ANA) - The death toll from a strong earthquake that hit northern Indonesia's Aceh province on Wednesday has doubled to at least 50, Indonesia's disaster agency said, as rescuers searched dozens of collapsed buildings for trapped survivors. Search and rescue teams used earth movers to clear rubble and reach what authorities believed were dozens of victims trapped after the magnitude 6.5 quake. Sutopo Nugroho of the national disaster management agency said a state of emergency had been declared in Aceh, which sits on the northern tip of Indonesia's Sumatra island. "We are now focusing on searching for victims and possible survivors," Nugroho said. President Joko Widodo said he had instructed his chief of staff to visit the disaster area. Aceh was devastated by a massive earthquake and tsunami centered on its western coast near the provincial capital, Banda Aceh, on Dec. 26, 2004.(ANA)

FA/ANA/7 December 2016----