The Chinese central government has allocated 50 million yuan ($7.3 million) for the nation's northwest quake-hit Qinghai Province, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said Wednesday.

The fund was to support local relief and reconstruction efforts, the NDRC, China's top economic planning agency, said in a statement on its website.

A 7.1-magnitude earthquake hit Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Yushu in Qinghai Province early Wednesday morning.

About 400 people have died and 10,000 others were injured in the quake, local authorities said.

The All China Federation of Trade Unions said Wednesday that it had earmarked 2 million yuan in relief to help local workers with loss of earnings and other living difficulties.

(Xinhua News Agency April 14, 2010)