TAIYUAN - Authorities in North China's Shanxi province have earmarked 50 million yuan (about $7.8 million) to support the flood control and relief work after heavy rains lashed the coal-rich province.

The fund will be used for emergency relocation and resettlement of disaster-affected people, restoration and reconstruction of damaged houses, as well as repair of damaged irrigation and water conservancy facilities and materials needed for restoration of agricultural production in severely impacted areas, and other disaster relief efforts.

Continuous rainstorms have battered multiple parts of the province, leading to rising water levels and flooding, according to local authorities.

Around 55,000 people have been evacuated and the provincial emergency rescue headquarters office issued an emergency notice on Sunday, urging all localities to strengthen the management of resettlement sites for disaster-hit people.

On Saturday, the China National Commission for Disaster Reduction and the Ministry of Emergency Management jointly activated a Level-IV emergency response to floods in Shanxi. The province has also issued a Level-III emergency response for natural disasters.

China has a four-tier flood-control emergency response system, with Level I being the most severe.