The death toll has risen to 38 in the devastating mud-rock flow that hit Yueqing city in east China's Zhejiang province last Friday. Nine villagers remain missing, local sources confirmed Thursday.

By noon Thursday, the three townships of Longxi, Fuxi and Xianxi, which were badly damaged by the flow had resumed power supply and restored road traffic and communication, according to the flood and drought control office of Yueqing city.

The mud-rock flow was caused by continuous, heavy rainfall from Typhoon Rananim, which ravaged east China's Zhejiang province last Thursday.

According to the flood and drought control office of Yueqing city, the disaster struck three townships in mountainous areas in the northern part of the city early Aug. 13 and killed 25 villagers on the spot.

The Yueqing municipal government has allocated 30 million yuan (about 3.6 million US dollars) of relief fund and aroused more than 300 people to search for the missing villagers and restore infrastructure.

Each victim's family have received an 20,000 yuan (some 2,400 US dollars) allowance from the government, said Mayor Huang Zhengqiang.

The government also allocated rice, pork, salt, vegetables and mineral water to the villages, as the catastrophe cut off water and food supplies.

Huang said the municipal government plans to relocate several of the villages to safer locations before February 2005. Meanwhile,the government has solicited donations from local enterprises and asked the villagers to help themselves and resume production at anearlier date.

Source: Xinhua