The nation has allocated 50 million yuan in emergency disaster relief funds and earmarked another 30 million yuan for recovery efforts following a 7.0 magnitude earthquake in southwest Xizang Autonomous Region. The earthquake struck Baqen County of the city of Nagqu at 10.33pm on Thursday, leaving 16 people dead and 76 injured. President Xi Jinping has called for all-out rescue efforts. The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Emergency Management jointly allocated 50 million yuan to support rescue operations and assistance to affected residents, while the National Development and Reform Commission earmarked the additional 30 million yuan from the central budget to help restore damaged infrastructure and public service facilities. The country has also upgraded its national earthquake emergency response from Level IV to Level III, while activating a separate Level-IV national natural disaster relief response. China's national comprehensive fire and rescue force has dispatched a total of 350 rescuers and 83 vehicles. The emergency management ministry has guided Xizang's emergency management department in arranging for Wing Loong drone deployment to the quake-hit area for disaster reconnaissance. As of early on Friday, 120 rescuers and 27 vehicles had arrived in the quake-hit area, while the remaining 230 rescuers and 56 vehicles from the Xizang fire and...
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