The civil affairs and finance ministries allocated emergency disaster relief funds and materials yesterday to the flood-ravaged southeastern province of Fujian and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in the south.

According to the Ministry of Civil Affairs, 15 million yuan (US$1.8 million) will go to Fujian and 20 million yuan (US$2.4 million) to Guangxi, along with 2,000 tents.

A work team formed jointly by both ministries, the National Development and Reform Commission and six other government departments reached Fujian on Wednesday afternoon to extend the sympathies of the Party and central government to flood victims and to direct flood control and relief work, said a civil affairs ministry official.

"We have taken these substantial measures consistent with a national program on emergency relief work in natural disasters," he added.

According to his ministry, by 3:00 PM yesterday the floods had resulted in a death toll of 12 and emergency relocation of 317,000 people in Fujian; 36 deaths, 15 missing and 25,000 displaced in Guangdong; and 27 dead, 20 missing and 333,000 displaced in Guangxi.

"Other losses from the deluges are still being calculated," said the official.

Since June 16, Guangxi and the provinces of Zhejiang, Fujian, Jiangxi, Hunan and Guangdong, all in southern and southeastern China, have experienced continued floods, landslides and mudslides caused by torrential rain. Among them, Fujian, Guangdong and Guangxi have been the worst hit.

(Xinhua News Agency June 23, 2005)