In pictures: Earthquake strikes off Aceh, Indonesia

A 6.5-magnitude earthquake struck Aceh province in Indonesia on Wednesday, killing at least 97 people.

Many more are feared trapped under rubble after hundreds of buildings collapsed.

Thousands of people have been forced to take refuge in temporary shelters and mosques.

Earthquake survivors spend a night at a temporary shelter in Ulim, Aceh province, Indonesia, Thursday, 8 December 2016AP

Some have been left homeless after their houses were destroyed, others have fled their homes amid fears of aftershocks and a possible tsunami.

Survivors take rest at the evacuation center at Meureudu Pidie Jaya after an earthquake struck Pidie Jaya district, Aceh, Indonesia, 7 December 2016.EPA

Rescue workers used diggers to remove rubble in their search efforts overnight on Wednesday.

This picture taken late on 7 December 2016 shows ongoing rescue work at night in Pidie Jaya after a 6.5-magnitude earthquake struck Aceh province.AFP/Getty Images

Others used their bare hands and shovels to find people.

Indonesian army and the Search and Rescue Team look for survivors amongst the rubble on 7 December 2016 in Lueng Putu town, Aceh Province, Indonesia.Getty Images

A few survivors were pulled out alive on Wednesday.

Indonesian rescue workers carry a survivor from a fallen building after an earthquake in Ulee Glee, Pidie Jaya, in the northern province of Aceh, Indonesia 7 December 2016.Reuters

More than 200 buildings were either seriously damaged or toppled in the earthquake.

The Pidie Jaya region, on the north Aceh coast, was the hardest hit.

Indonesian rescue team search for victims after an earthquake struck Pidie Jaya district, Aceh, Indonesia, 7 December 2016.EPA
People survey the damage after dozens of buildings collapsed following a 6.4 magnitude earthquake in Ule Glee, Pidie Jaya in the northern province of Aceh, Indonesia 7 December 2016.Reuters

The tremor hit just offshore early on Wednesday morning.

A badly damaged building is seen after a 6.5-magnitude earthquake struck the town of Pidie, Indonesia's Aceh province in northern Sumatra, on 7 December 2016.AFP/Getty Images
Residents gather outside a damaged mosque, its minaret reduced to rubble following its collapse, after a 6.5-magnitude earthquake struck the town of Pidie, Indonesia's Aceh province in northern Sumatra, on 7 December 2016AFP/Getty Images

Many of the homes in the area have corrugated tin roofs which collapsed.

People survey the damage after dozens of buildings collapsed following a 6.4 magnitude earthquake in Ule Glee, Pidie Jaya in the northern province of Aceh, Indonesia December 7, 2016Reuters

Hundreds have also been rushed to the sole functioning hospital, which has been overwhelmed by patients.

Banda Aceh, the provincial capital, was one of the worst hit areas by the 2004 tsunami, caused by a massive earthquake.

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