The Macao Red Cross Monday said that it has so far collected a total donation of 4.9 million patacas (612,500 U.S. dollars) from local civil groups and companies for the mudslide victims in northwest China's Gansu Province.

The Macao Red Cross received donations of 1.05 million patacas from three local associations, two companies and a local businessman on Monday alone.

A sum of 400,000 yuan (58,773 U.S. dollars) was sent to the disaster zone in Zhouqu County, Gansu by the charity on Monday, which will be used to purchase off-road vehicles for the rescue operations there, said Wong Yue Kai, president of the central council of the Macao Red Cross.

He also said that staff of the charity will go to Zhouqu and examine the situation there once the roads to the county are accessible.

Aside from the donation collected by the charity, the government of Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) has announced its decision to allocate 50 million yuan for the relief effort in Gansu.

Torrential rain prompted an avalanche of sludge and debris to crash down on the county seat of Zhouqu on Aug. 8, ripping many houses off their foundations and tearing multi-story apartment buildings in half.

The death toll from the massive mudslide in Zhouqu County has exceeded 1,200 as of Monday, with 490 still missing, local disaster relief headquarters said.