Red Cross rescuers rush to aid disaster relief in Gansu following 6.2-magnitude quake

BEIJING, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Red Cross Society of China (RCSC) has initiated its Level II emergency response and dispatched task forces to disaster areas after a 6.2-magnitude quake jolted northwest China's Gansu Province late on Monday.

A mechanism for emergency coordination in northwest China has also been activated, and search and rescue teams, medical teams and disaster relief teams have been deployed, said the RCSC.

So far, the organization has allocated 5 million yuan (around 704,000 U.S. dollars) in disaster relief funds and provided 700 cotton tents, 2,000 folding beds, 12,700 quilts, 4,500 cotton-padded coats and 1,000 family packages.

The first batch of disaster-relief supplies, as well as rescue and relief teams, has reached the stricken areas, said the RCSC.