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Tents, relief funds sent to quake-hit Tibet, Xinjiang

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-10-08 06:42

BEIJING -- A total of 2,000 tents, 3,000 winter clothes and 3,000 quilts were distributed to earthquake-stricken areas in west China on Tuesday.

Ministries of finance and civil affairs also allocated 10 million yuan ($1.47 million) from the central government's disaster relief funds to assist the quake-jolted areas in Tibet Autonomous Region and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Armed police set up tents for local residents in Gedar Township of Damxung County in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, on Oct. 7, 2008. [Xinhua]

An earthquake measuring 6.6 on the Richter Scale jolted Damxung, 82 km from Lhasa, capital of Tibet, on Monday afternoon, killing ten people and injuring 34. At least 147 houses collapsed.

Related readings:  Earthquake jolts area near Lhasa, killing at least 9  M6.8 earthquake hits Xinjiang

A 6.8-magnitude earthquake shook a mountainous area about 100 km from the county seat of Wuqia, Xinjiang, on Sunday night. No casualties were reported, but 721 houses collapsed during the tremor.

Soon after the quakes, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and Vice Premier Hui Liangyu ordered disaster relief, finance and civil affair departments under the State Council to support relief efforts.

The state disaster relief authorities, ministries of finance and civil affairs, and the China Earthquake Administration have sent work groups and rescue teams to the areas.

Local governments in Tibet and Xinjiang also dispatched rescuers, tents, food and clothing to locals affected by the quakes.