China will open green channels at toll gates for vehicles transporting relief materials to disaster-affected areas this winter.

Minister of Communications Li Shenglin instructed provincial departments to grant relief vehicles special licenses so they can go quickly through toll gates free of charge.

The government has also doubled funding for the reconstruction of roads and bridges in areas struck by disasters to 200 million yuan (25 million U.S. dollars).

Ministry of Civil Affairs figures show that up to Sept. 11, natural disasters this year had left 2,295 people dead and 564 missing.

The disasters caused losses of 191.8 billion yuan (24.4 billion U.S. dollars) and more than 13.2 million people were relocated. Almost six million homes were severely damaged or destroyed.

Source: Xinhua