At least 22 people are known to have died and 210 were injured after a magnitude-6.2 earthquake hit Indonesia’s Aceh province, a disaster management official said today.

More than 1,500 buildings and houses were also damaged in yesterday’s quake, said Sutopo Nugroho, a spokesperson for the National Disaster Management Agency.

NONE Rescue and emergency relief teams have been dispatched to Bener Meriah and Central Aceh, two districts in Aceh worst hit by the tremor, he said.

Bener Meriah deputy district chief Rusli M Saleh said injured survivors were being treated in tents outside the local state-run hospital, which sustained minor damage.

“There were aftershocks last night and the patients are still traumatised so they prefer to be treated outside,” he said.

He said 12 people died in the district.

Rumours that the nearby Burni Telong volcano was about to erupt caused panic and many residents slept outdoors, he said.

The Centre of Vulcanology said the volcano’s activity was normal.

The quake occurred at 2.37pm local time. Its epicentre was 35km south-west of Bener Meriah and 10km below ground level, the Meteorology, Geophysics and Climatology Agency said.

- dpa