The Finance and Civil Affairs ministries announced the allocation of 942 million yuan (about US$132.5 million) on Friday to help residents rebuild their toppled homes in the country's snow-hit south.

This brought the total amount put forth by the two ministries to nearly 1.15 billion yuan to subsidize house reconstruction, Xinhua learned from the Ministry of Finance.

More would be given to rural low-income households and families in destitute poverty, according to the ministry. However, it did not say how much each family would get.

The move was the latest financial support from the central budget to the snow-ravaged regions.

Last week, the National Development and Reform Commission earmarked 3 billion yuan to subsidize infrastructure facilities damaged in the month-long snow and ice disaster that started in mid January.

The unprecedented winter storms, which hit 21 provincial-level regions, claimed 129 lives and devastated 485,000 houses. An estimated 1.66 million people lost their homes and were living in temporary shelters.

(Xinhua News Agency March 8, 2008)