Using text messages, China's mobile phone users have donated nearly 100 million yuan (US$14.4 million) to quake victims as of Thursday.

The Red Cross Society of China announced on Thursday it had received 99.07 million yuan from the country's four telecommunications operators (China Unicom, China Telecom, China Mobile and China Netcom) that was donated by mobile users.

By sending a text message with any number from one to 30, mobile users can donate that amount, according to the operators.

There were 574 million cell phone users in China as of March, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information.

Donations through handsets were continuing, the operators said.

The Red Cross promised to send all the money to the quake relief work and encouraged more handset owners to donate.

The death toll from the May 12 earthquake centered in Sichuan Province rose to 51,151 as of 10:00 AM on Thursday. Meanwhile, 288,431 people were injured and 29,328 remained missing.

(Xinhua News Agency May 22, 2008)