The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government said Tuesday it has approved a further 7 million HK dollars (US$0.9 million) from the Disaster Relief Fund for quake relief efforts in southwest China.

The approval, for the World Vision Hong Kong's relief efforts, brought the total value of grants from the Disaster Relief Fund for earthquake victims in the southwest of the mainland to 323.8 million HK dollars (US$41.5 million).

The Disaster Relief Fund was set up in 1993 to help disaster victims outside Hong Kong.

(Xinhua News Agency May 28, 2008)