Society

China channels $40m for quake-struck Yunnan province

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-02-04 10:23

BEIJING -- China's Ministry of Civil Affairs has sent about 262 million yuan ($40 million) in relief funds to Yunnan province to help local residents after part of the region was struck by at least three earthquakes since January.

Yingjiang county of Dai-Jingpo autonomous prefecture of Dehong in the southwestern province has been hit by at least three quakes measuring above magnitude 4.0 since January.

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Two were recorded between Jan 1 to 2. The latest was a 4.8-magnitude quake at 3.11 pm Beijing Time Tuesday, which injured one person, forced more than 60,000 people to evacuate and toppled more than 3,000 homes.

After the latest earthquake, provincial civil affairs authorities decided to add relief funds to Yingjiang from 1.5 million yuan to 7.5 million yuan, according to a statement posted on the website of the ministry Thursday.

The ministry has already sent 5,000 tents, 10,000 quilts and 10,000 cotton-padded coats to the quake-hit area.

For destitute families, or households whose homes were severely damaged during the latest quake, each household is to receive a government subsidy of one tent, one quilt, one coat, a bag of rice and a bucket of cooking oil during the Spring Festival. The disabled were given the identical subsidy during the festival.

For families whose homes were slightly damaged, each household is to receive a government subsidy of 600 yuan.