Seismic waves – File photo
Seismic waves – File photo

BANDA ACEH: A 5.9-magnitude earthquake struck off Indonesia's Aceh province Tuesday, killing an eight-year-old girl and leaving 15 people injured, officials said.

The quake struck 112 kilometres southeast of the provincial capital of Banda Aceh at 22:22 GMT, at a depth of 37 kilometres, the US Geological Survey said.

“An eight-year-old girl in Pidie district was killed after a cupboard in her bedroom fell on her when the quake shook the ground,” the district's disaster management agency chief Apriyadi, who goes by one name, told AFP.

He added that 15 people were injured, five of them seriously, due to collapsing walls.

At least 50 houses in the district were also damaged with walls partly collapsed, he said.

The Indonesian Meteorology, Geophysics and Climatology Agency (BMKG) issued no tsunami alert.

Indonesia sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire” where continental plates collide, causing frequent seismic and volcanic activity.

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