Domestic donations in both cash and goods to the quake-hit areas had risen to 1.34 billion yuan (192 million U.S. dollars) on Thursday, according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs (MCA).

The MCA had received donations of 58 million yuan, the Red Cross Society of China (RCSC) has received 624 million yuan, and the China Charity Federation has received about 220 million yuan.

A chartered freight flight of the Taiwan-based China Airlines also arrived in Chengdu Thursday loaded with relief materials to quake-hit regions in Sichuan.

It carried 110 tonnes of blankets, tents, clothes, first aid packets and other materials donated by Taiwan's charity institutions.

(Xinhua News Agency May 16, 2008)