BEIJING, July 5 -- China earmarked 320 million yuan (about 44.46 million U.S. dollars) on Wednesday from its central natural-disaster relief funds to support flood and geological disaster relief work in regions including Chongqing and Sichuan.

Among the emergency funds, 250 million yuan will be used to support flood control and disaster relief efforts, and the other 70 million yuan will be used to support geological disaster relief work, according to a statement from the Ministry of Finance (MOF).

The funds, which were jointly released by the MOF and the Ministry of Emergency Management, will be allocated by the local authorities to coordinate emergency rescue and disaster relief efforts, focusing on search, rescue, and the relocation and resettlement of people affected by natural disasters.

The funds will also be used to identify and defuse risks and hidden dangers to prevent secondary disasters, and repair damaged houses, according to the statement.

The move came after continuous heavy rainfall hit regions including southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, causing heavy casualties and property losses.