JAKARTA, Dec. 26 (Xinhuanet) -- Some 305 people died after an extremely powerful earthquake rocked Aceh province in Indonesia on Sunday morning, unleashing tidal waves, local news online reported.

    The figure comprised some 42 people in Nias district of North Sumatra province, some 98 people in Biruen district and 165 peoplein Pidie district in Aceh province.

    According to Bireun chief of district in Aceh province the figure will increase as they still look for many unidentified dead bodies.

    The officials from Biruen and Pidie districts said that that thousands of people had left their homes to higher areas to avoid further tremor and flood.

    A great earthquake of 8.7 at Richter degree shocked many parts of the provinces of North Sumatera and Aceh, Indonesia, around 08:00 (local time) earlier Sunday.

    The center of the earthquake was in Molabo, Aceh, the country's westernmost province.

    Local office of Indonesian Meteorological and Geological bureautold local Detik news online that some major cities and towns surrounding such as Bireun, Medan and even Padang on the island could felt the strong tremor.

    Up to now, the quake has already caused some hundreds houses down, electricity cut off and bridges damaged.

    Meanwhile, telecommunication lines from Banda Aceh city were cut because most equipment was inundated by tsunami generated by the quake.

    Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who had been visiting the victims of recent earthquake in Nabire district, in Papua province, immediately ordered the authorities to handle the natural disaster and asked some ministers to visit the affected area, the state spokesman Andi Mallarangeng said.

    "The president seriously mourns on the earthquake, president conveyed his condolence on the quake," he said.

    Vice President Jusuf Kalla asked a number of ministers to visitAceh province.

    "Until now the communication can not be conducted appropriately,so the minister of information and the minister of people welfare and poverty alleviation would go to the province to see the situation," Kalla said.

    He said that the government would ensure that the supply of food and drug was sufficient as well as good preparation for those to temporarily settle.

    Sunday's quake was the third major to hit Indonesia after one in Nabire in Papua on Nov. 26 which killed 17 people and Alor in East Nusa Tenggara on Nov. 12, which killed at least 27 people. Enditem