The government of Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) Monday announced that it decided to provide an amount of 100 million yuan (US$15 million) as quake-relief fund for China's Qinghai province which was hit by a major earthquake.

Since the disaster area was located in high-altitude region, the quake-relief operation has met with difficulty, and the fund is aimed at offering more assistance to the Chinese mainland authorities in rescuing the quake victims, according to a press release from the SAR government.

The death toll has exceeded 1,700 after the Yushu County in Qinghai province, northwest China, was struck by the 7.1-magnitude earthquake on April 14.

On behalf of the SAR government and the people of Macao, the SAR's Chief Executive Chui Sai On also sent his deepest regrets and condolences to the people in Qinghai and expressed his hope that the disaster-relief operation can be carried out smoothly and people in Yushu can soon rebuild their homes, according to the press release.

Aside from the government funds, the Macao Red Cross has already offered 300,000 patacas (37,500 dollars) as emergent quake- relief fund to the disaster area in Yushu, and the organization has so far received a total donation of 2.75 million patacas (US$343, 750) from local communities.

(Xinhua News Agency April 20, 2010)