Natural disasters kill 1,181 in China this year

BEIJING - Various natural disasters had killed 1,181 people and left another 431 missing as of December 13 this year, according to an annual work report of the Ministry of Civil Affairs (MCA) on Friday.

Some 390 million people across the country were affected by disasters, which resulted in economic losses of up to 592.96 billion yuan ($97.72 ?billion), the report said.

The National Committee for Disaster Reduction and the MCA have issued 49 warning or emergency responses in response to various disasters, and a total of 10.1 billion yuan in disaster relief funds was allocated by the central authorities this year, the report added.

Li Liguo, minister of civil affairs, said that the ministry will create a statistical system to calculate losses caused by major accidents, adding that it will give more financial support to the development of old revolutionary bases, minority and border areas, and poverty-stricken areas in 2014.

The ministry will further protect the 615,000 graves of revolutionary martyears and 12,000 memorial facilities for them, the official said.

Li added that the ministry will also reform funerals via a legal guarantee system after a government document issued last week asked Party members and officials to set an example in holding simple and civilized funerals.