Pidie Jaya, Aceh (Antara Bali) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) again visited Aceh, after it was hit by a strong earthquake on Dec 7, on his way home following state visits to India and Iran.
The president and his entourage arrived in Meureudu Sub-district, Pidie Jaya District, on Thursday after the presidential aircraft landed at Sultan Iskandar Muda Airport, Aceh, at 9:30 a.m. local time.
Jokowi departed from Tehran on Thursday at dawn.
He and First Lady Iriana visited an emergency tent used as a psychological and counseling center for children who were traumatized by the 6.5-magnitude earthquake.
The center is being run by the Social Affairs Ministry.
"Study diligently, always pray, and keep up your spirits," the president told the children.
He also held dialogs with several women being accommodated in emergency tents.
Jokowi was scheduled to lay the first cornerstone for the reconstruction of At Taqarrub Mosque, which collapsed during the tremor.
He was also expected to visit several schools damaged by the quake.
Earlier, President Jokowi visited Aceh on Dec 9 to meet the quake victims and survey the damaged buildings.
Indonesias Meteorological, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) reported that the epicenter of the 6.5-magnitude earthquake was at 5.19 degrees northern latitude and 96.36 degrees eastern longitude, at a depth of 10km on land, some 18km northeast of Pidie Jaya, or 106km southeast of Banda Aceh, the capital of Aceh Province.
BMKG said the quakes intensity was a VII-VIII MMI (Marcelli Modified Intensity) in Pidie Jaya.
It also recorded 74 aftershocks that were felt by inhabitants of the districts of Pidie Jaya, Pidie, Aceh Besar, Sabang, Bireun, and Lhokseumawe.
The tremors have traumatized locals who are reluctant to stay indoors.
A total of 103 deaths have been confirmed so far. Some 8 thousand inhabitants were seriously or slightly injured in the disaster, and they were evacuated to receive medical treatment.(WDY)
