BEIJING, May 23 -- China's Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Emergency Management on Friday allocated 30 million yuan (about 4.17 million U.S. dollars) of disaster relief funds from central government funding for southwest China's Guizhou Province.

The funds will be used to support search and rescue operations, relocate affected residents, eliminate risks, and carry out hidden danger investigations to minimize casualties and reduce losses, according to the Ministry of Finance.

On Thursday, a landslide struck Guowa township in Dafang County under the city of Bijie in Guizhou, trapping 19.

The Ministry of Finance instructed local authorities to ensure the timely disbursement of the funds to affected areas, strengthen fund oversight, and ensure the effective use of relief funds to protect people's lives and property.