By Zhao Jinchuan     

    JAKARTA, Dec. 25 (Xinhua) -- Over 100 lives have been claimed and 110,000 others forced to evacuate by one of the worst floods hitting dozens of districts in Indonesia's North Sumatra and Aceh provinces in the past three days while the Acehnesses were preparing for second anniversary of the Indian Ocean tsunami.

An aerial view shows houses submerged in floodwaters in the district of Aceh Tamiang, Aceh province, Dec. 24, 2006.  (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery >>>

    The flash floods, which came at the rainy season after a five-month drought in most of the country, has brought grave casualties and heavy losses to the affected areas.

    According to local reports, in the past three days at least 123 people were killed in Aceh and North Sumatra provinces. The floods also hit Riau, West Sumatra and West Kalimantan.

    At least six districts in Aceh were hit by the floods, killing at least 114 people, two were missing and 70,000 others were forced to evacuate, official Antara news agency reported.

    Aceh was the region worst hit by the 2004 tsunami in which about 160,000 people were killed, but this week's flooding unaffected the area.

    Head of Aceh Social Affairs Office Ridwan Sulaiman said that the areas affected by the floods covered 43 sub-districts, of which 12 were located in Aceh Tamiang district, five in East Aceh, 16 in North Aceh, three in Bireuen, five in Gavo Lues and two in Bener Mariah.

    In Bener Meriah district, the floods were followed by landslides. As a result, hundreds of houses and a number of bridges were knocked down.

    Meanwhile, Langkat district in North Sumatra province was also affected by floods. Until Sunday, the death toll of Langkat floods rose to nine and six others were still missing. About 10 dead victims were also found in Besitang subdistrict, Stabat and Hinaiin the province.

    On Sunday, 43,401 locals comprising 58,532 families were evacuated and were accommodated at a number of makeshift tents.

    Refugees in the tents began to suffer from various diseases while medical supplies were inadequate, the local reports said, adding that at least 730 suffered from diarrhea, 1,500 from respiratory infection, 2,780 others had flu and itches.

    Incessant rains in North Sumatra's neighboring province of Riau triggered floods which submerged farmland in six districts. The height of the floods in some parts of the area reached three meters.

    "The alert status has been upgraded from first to second level due to the floods which were getting worse," Wan Darlis Ilyas of the Riau provincial administration was quoted by Antara as saying.

    In West Sumatra, floods inundated residential areas in Arau subdistrict, Lima Puluh Kota district. "The floods reach up to one meter high in residential areas," said chief of the local police precinct Snr Comnr Yoyok SN. But no human casualties were reported.

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