China allocates $18m to aid Xinjiang

BEIJING - China's central government has provided 110 million yuan ($18 million) for relief work in quake-hit Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, the Ministry of Finance said Friday.

The funds will be used for disaster relief, relocations, medical treatment and infrastructure reconstruction, the ministry said.

A 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck Xinjiang's Hotan prefecture on February 12, causing the relocation of some 80,000 people.

As the vast majority of rural residents in the area are living in quake-resistant buildings, the tremor was less destructive than expected. No casualties have been reported.