Macao Red Cross said Wednesday that it has received over 15 million patacas (US$1.9 million) in donation from local people and organizations for relief and rehabilitation work in typhoon-stricken Taiwan.

Of the accumulated donations, 2.7 million patacas has been allocated for emergent disaster relief, according to the Macao Red Cross.

Given the relief operation in Taiwan was close to an end and local authorities will soon launch the reconstruction projects there, the rest of the donations will be mainly used to fund these projects, the Red Cross said.

The death toll from Typhoon Morakot, which caused the worst floods Taiwan has seen in 50 years, rose to 136 as of Wednesday, according to local authorities.

Previously, the government of Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) and the government-run Macao Foundation have donated a combined amount of 12 million patacas for relief and rehabilitation work in Taiwan.

(Xinhua News Agency August 20, 2009)