Public donations to the Sichuan earthquake victims raised in Macao have reached 200 million patacas (US$25 million) to date, according to the figures released on Monday respectively by a local NGO and a government institution.

The Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) received over 160 million patacas (US$22 million), while the Macao Red Cross collected 30 million patacas (US$3.75 million).

The Macao Red Cross said another batch of relief supplies will be delivered to the quake-hit Sichuan Province, and some 8 million patacas (around US$1 million) of the total donations it received were spent on relief supplies and assistance to the victims.

The death toll of the powerful earthquake that hit China's Sichuan province has risen to 65,080 as of Monday noon, according to the Information Office of the State Council.

The quake-hit area is currently in dire need of tents, mattress, milk powders and medicines, said the NGO.

(Xinhua News Agency May 27, 2008)