As of Saturday, donations totaling five million yuan (US$600,000) had been raised by the Red Cross of Chongqing Municipality for gas blowout victims in Kaixian County.

Of the total, 2.3 million yuan (US$277,000) was from Jwo Joo Yuen Jin, a Malaysian of Chinese origin, along with the Perfect Commodity Co, Ltd, which he sets up in Zhongshan City in southern China's Guangdong Province.

Other donators included the Red Cross of Beijing, the Red Cross of Shanghai and some local institutions.

The gas blowout accident ten days ago killed 233 people.

(Xinhua News Agency January 4, 2004)