The earthquake measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale in Dayao County of southwest China's Yunnan Province has made the local economy lose over 1 billion yuan (US$ 121 million) in direct losses.

According to news from Dayao, high magnitude and low seismic origin of the quake, as well as frequent aftershocks, especially one reading 4.5 on the Richter scale on July 24, heavily damaged the area’s infrastructures, adding difficulties to relief work and disease prevention.  

To date, some 199,509 people from 48,048 families in 148 villages were attacked by the disaster. The quake caused 16 deaths and 522 injured. And 1,120 livestock were killed and 9,343 houses collapsed.  

Local schools, hospitals, office buildings, reservoirs, dams, power stations, channels, highways, bridges, streets, communication and water supply equipments were also damaged to different degrees. The direct losses amounted to 1.027 billion yuan (US$124 million).

The central government had granted 22 million yuan (US$2.65 million) for disaster relief. Of this fund, 20 million yuan (US$2.41 million) is for sufferers' transfer and relocation and house repairs, 1 million yuan (US$ 121,000) is for disease control and prevention and the other 1 million yuan for medical institutes' repairs and maintenance.

The county opens a website and hotline for donations:

E-mail：dayao@mail.cx.yn.cn; info.netdy@mail.cx.yn.cnynfo.net

Hotline：(0878) 6210098; 6630418; 6222675

Bank：The Agriculture Bank of China Dayao Branch

Bank Account Number：109301040000368

Bank Account Name：Finance Bureau of Dayao County, Chuxiong Prefecture, Yunnan Province.

(China.org.cn by Feng Yikun, July 31, 2003)