Local civil affairs departments of all 74 counties in the Tibet Autonomous Region have been equipped with special vehicles for rescue and disaster relief, thanks to financial assistance by the central government.

The Ministry of Civil Affairs and the Ministry of Finance recently allocated 15.33 million yuan (about US$1.85 million) for Tibetan counties to purchase the vehicles, while the regional government also amassed 2.67 million yuan (about US$ 321,000) for the same purpose.

Tibet, located in the southwestern part of the country, is known for complicated weather conditions and frequent occurrence of natural calamities such as snowstorms, earthquakes, landslides and mudflows.

The central government has attached great priority to assisting Tibet in fighting natural disasters. In 1997 and 2001, the Ministry of Civil Affairs gave 100 million yuan (about US$12 million) and 120 million yuan (about US$14.45 million) to the autonomous region for the development of safety initiatives.

(Xinhua News Agency September 14, 2004)