The Chinese government has ordered 900,000 tents from domestic manufacturers, with all of the tents to be delivered before June 20, said a senior civil affairs official on Saturday.

More than 30,000 tents will be shipped from manufacturers around the country to the quake-stricken province of Sichuan every day starting on May 30, said Luo Pingfei, vice minister of civil affairs.

Several million people were left homeless by the May 12 earthquake.

Luo spoke at a meeting held by the State Council (cabinet) earthquake relief headquarters here in the provincial capital.

Luo said that the government has enlisted 68 tent makers for the urgent supply of the much-needed temporary housing, and more companies would be given contracts in the next few days.

The vice minister said that the quality of the tents will be checked by the state military product quality supervision and inspection authority.

The 8.0-magnitude quake, centered in Sichuan, destroyed 5.36 million rooms of housing and damaged 21.43 million others, according to figures from the ministry.

(Xinhua News Agency May 24, 2008)