The epicentre was located near the village of Reuleut in Pidie Jaya Regency, 164 km (102 mi) southeast of the province's capital, Banda Aceh.

[14] The Head of the Geology Office, Ego Syahrial, stated that Pidie Jaya Regency was included as one of the most earthquake-prone cities in Aceh and was in the red zone.

[5] At least 108 aftershocks followed the main shock in Aceh, with the largest measuring 5.3 Mw occurring in the mid-morning hours of 11 December 2016 at a depth of 20 km.

The Vice Regent of Pidie Jaya Regency, Said Mulyadi, stated that at least 18 people were killed in the quake, with dozens trapped under rubble.

[28] Indonesian President Joko Widodo ordered the Presidential Chief of Staff Teten Masduki to travel to Aceh in response to the quake.

[36] The acting governor of Aceh Soedarmo ordered all agencies to work in the hardest hit areas and stated that deploying heavy equipment and distribution of aid supplies were the first priorities.

[38] The Minister of Social Affairs, Khofifah Indar Parawansa, will travel to Aceh in order to help the survivors[39] The ministry had deployed Taruna Siaga Bencana in response to the quake.

[40] Khofifah then stated that evacuation and refugee centres had been set up in the areas affected by the quake, and that the ministry will deploy 33,000 additional volunteers to assist in aid efforts.

[45] At noon on 7 December 2016, the death toll was revised by Indonesian authorities to 45, according to the Head of Health Instance of Pidie Jaya,[46] later rose to 49.

On the afternoon of 7 December, the death toll jumped to 92, while army official had told Metro TV that 97 people were killed in the quake.

[52] Social Minister Khofifah Indar Parawanasa had sent several rounds of donation and assistance from Central and Regional Storage of Sumatra to the victims.

[53] The Yogyakarta Regional Disaster Management Board sent a 7-person search and rescue team to assist the evacuation process in Pidie Jaya.

[56] On 8 December 2016, the Indonesian National Board for Disaster Management deployed a team of experts specializing in collapsed buildings to the region.

[57] The commander of the Indonesian National Armed Forces Gatot Nurmantyo stated that it will send 218 personnel to the affected region.

[59] The Indonesian National Board for Disaster Management later stated that 100 bodies had been evacuated with 1 person listed as missing.

[60] The head of the Regional Police of North Sumatra Rycko Amelza Dahniel deployed several units of its forces for humanitarian purposes in Aceh.

[63][64][65] Rumah Lembang, a campaign house for Basuki Tjahaja Purnama and Djarot Saiful Hidayat that were competing for the 2017 Jakarta Governor election, held a minute of silence to honor the victims.

The Central Administrator Council agreed to open a crisis centre for the people affected by the quake in Pidie Jaya.

[70] The Prosperous Justice Party (Indonesian: Partai Keadilan Sejahtera) sent their sincere condolences and issued a solidarity program to the victims.

[72] Former Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono sent his deepest sympathy to the victims and also asked his fellow politicians in the Democratic Party to help with efforts.

[75] The Islamic Defenders Front opened a crisis centre in Aceh and also sent volunteers to assist with efforts.

The ship, KRI Sibolga, is on standby to assist the volunteers and social workers in dealing with the aftermath of the quake.

[80][81] The mayor of Surabaya Tri Rismaharini offered medical assistance to help the evacuation process in Pidie Jaya.

[83] Social Minister Khofifah Indar Parawansa stated that relatives of the victims of the disaster will be given financial compensation for their losses.

[93][94] Before the start of the semifinal match of the 2016 AFF Suzuki Cup Championship between Indonesia and Vietnam on 7 December, a minute of silence was observed.

[99] Indonesian telecommunication company XL Axiata sent donations of school equipments and logistics to the areas affected.

[101] On the noon of 8 December, Indonesian President Joko Widodo arrived in Pidie Jaya and immediately held a search and rescue coordination meeting attended by Health Minister Nila Moeloek, Minister of Public Work and Houses Basuki Hadimuljono, Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung, Commander of the Indonesian Armed Forces Gatot Nurmantyo, Head of Indonesian National Police Tito Karnavian, Acting President Teten Masduki and Aceh Acting Governor Soedarmo.

[111] In Pamekasan, East Java, dozens of kindergarten students attended a prayer service and charity work.

[116] The Japanese Government, through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will also send 500 tents to Aceh.

[118][119] The Mayor of Hirogawa in Wakayama Prefecture, Japan; Toshiki Nishioka, sent funds of 1 million yen to the victims of the quake.