By Xinhua
Beijing : The Red Cross Society of China (RCSC) Tuesday said it has so far received public donations worth more than 120 million Yuan ($17 million) for victims in the earthquake-hit areas in southwest China’s Sichuan province.
As of 6 p.m. Tuesday, relief supplies in both cash and goods worth 14.6 million Yuan (about $2 million) have been forwarded to the quake-hit areas, RCSC said.
Among the supplies were tents, cotton-padded quilts, food, medicine, and drinking water disinfectant.
RCSC, which has already sent a rescue team Monday evening to survey the situation in the Sichuan province, organised five more disaster relief teams Tuesday.
RCSC has also called for donations.
The China Charity Federation announced Tuesday it would forward 400 tents and 1 million Yuan to the Sichuan region. It also called for public donations.
The China Welfare Lottery Management Centre has also donated 5 million Yuan to Wenchuan County, while the China Disabled Persons’ Federation and China Welfare Fund for the Handicapped have jointly donated 3 million Yuan for the quake victims.
The Red Cross Society has issued a number of its bank accounts in which donors can deposit cash directly. It has also opened hotline numbers +86-10-65139999 and +86-10-64027620 for consultation during the daytime.
More than 12,000 people were killed in the 7.8-magnitude quake that jolted the southwest province of Sichuan Monday.
The toll is believed to mount further as communications to many areas have not yet been made.