As of 2 p.m. on Tuesday, donations from home and abroad to China's quake-hit regions had reached 32.7 billion yuan (4.67 billion U.S. dollars), up 1.8 billion yuan from the previous day, according to the Information Office of the State Council.

So far, 9.4 billion yuan, in cash and relief materials, had been forwarded to the earthquake-affected areas, the office said.

The Red Cross Society of China announced its headquarters had received 3.154 billion yuan in relief supplies and its local agencies 5.938 billion yuan as of 6 p.m. on Monday from domestic and foreign donors and had delivered 1.562 billion yuan in cash and goods to affected areas.

The society also made public another donation hotline, 4006139999, as the huge amount of calls had sometimes blocked its existing 6513-9999 line.

On Tuesday, real estate development giant Shimao Group donated 100 million yuan to build 100 hospitals in the earthquake-ravaged areas.

Jia Qinglin, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, attended the donation ceremony in Beijing.

He expressed his appreciation for the efforts made by the Shanghai-based company in the disaster relief.

The death toll from the May 12 earthquake in the southwestern Sichuan Province rose to 67,183 as of midday on Tuesday, according to the Information Office of the State Council.

A total of 361,822 people were injured and 20,790 others were missing in the magnitude 8.0 quake.

(Xinhua News Agency May 28, 2008)