Natural calamities in China have already claimed 555 lives and caused 28.52 billion yuan (US$3.44 billion) of direct economic losses so far this year, the latest statistics of China's Ministry of Civil Affairs revealed Tuesday.

Floods, drought, earthquake, snow, landslide and mud-rock flow combined brought huge losses, the ministry said.

The statistics also show 14.55 million hectares of crops have been affected, including 1 million hectares totally ravaged in these calamities.

In addition, 269,000 houses have been toppled and 630,000 people had to be relocated, said the ministry.

According to the statistics, floods alone have affected 1.87 million hectares of crops, including 235,300 hectares totally ravaged. The floods also killed 296 people and forced 412,000 people to relocate.

Li Xueju, minister of Civil Affairs, said here Tuesday that the ministry had allocated 1.06 billion yuan (US$127.71 million) as relief funds to the disaster-stricken areas.

(Xinhua News Agency July 14, 2004)