The Ministry of Civil Affairs Thursday allocated 25 million yuan (US$3.01 million) of emergency relief funds to east China's Fujian Province, which had suffered heavy economic losses from Typhoon Aere.

Aere hit Fujian three times, beginning Wednesday afternoon and ending Saturday afternoon. No death has been reported yet.

The typhoon brought heavy rainstorms, affecting 2.49 million people and forcing 937,000 people to evacuate, according to the ministry.

In addition, 46,800 hectares of crop, six reservoirs and numerous embankment areas and irrigation facilities were damaged.

Direct economic losses is estimated to reach 2.13 billion yuan (US$256.63 million), according to the ministry.

"Aere" means a storm in the language spoken on the Marshall Islands.

(Xinhua News Agency August 27, 2004)