Donations for the victims of the Urumqi riot July 5 have exceeded 270 million yuan (39.5 million U.S. dollars), local financial authority and charity organizations said Monday.
The Ethnic Unity Fund, set up by the government of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region after the riot, has received 226.8 million yuan from enterprises, public institutions and individuals in and outside the region as of 5 p.m. Monday, according to the Xinjiang regional department of finance.
The fund received 893,100 yuan on Monday alone, the department said.
The Xinjiang branch of China Charity Federation said it has received 43.57 million yuan.
The branch's secretary general Feng Li said some donors have designated beneficiaries when making their donations -- 303,000 yuan has been sent to Wan Jingang, an armed police officer who was killed by rioters, as well as a four-year-old boy and armed police officers who were injured during the riot.
The Xinjiang Red Cross Foundation has received 1 million yuan from the Chinese Red Cross Foundation and 18,000 yuan from individuals.
The violence in Urumqi had left 197 people dead and more than 1,600 injured. Houses of 633 families were damaged and 627 vehicles were smashed and torched.
(Xinhua News Agency July 21, 2009)
