JAKARTA. The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) is planning to bring one Hercules aircraft, previously dispatched to extinguish fires in Riau, to help the evacuation of earthquake victims in Aceh.

“We are still waiting for an order. If we have to move there [Aceh], we are ready,” said BNPB spokesperson Agus Wibowo in Pekanbaru on Wednesday.

Agus said there was a plan to move several BNPB personnel, currently deployed to tackle the haze in Riau, to Aceh for a victim evacuation operation there.

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“The exact schedule has yet to be set but many BNPB personnel from Jakarta have arrived in Aceh to help to evacuate the earthquake victims,” Agus said.

A 6.2 magnitude earthquake struck Aceh at 2:37 p.m. local time on Tuesday, killing at least 22 people while more than 200 were injured. The epicenter of the quake was located 35 kilometers southwest of Bener Meriah, at a depth of 10 kilometers. Thousands of homes and buildings were damaged.

According to a preliminary report, five people died in Bener Meriah while two others are still unaccounted for and 70 injured.

“Many houses there are heavily damaged,” said BNPB spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho.

Bener Meriah residents are now in a temporary shelter in Bandar Lampahan, Kecal, Kolemparacanis, Lampahan and Surajadi. (apt/ebf)