BEIJING, May 19 -- China on Tuesday allocated 120 million yuan (about 17.6 million U.S. dollars) from its central natural-disaster-relief fund to support relief efforts in regions affected by flooding, geological disasters and earthquakes, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) said.

The emergency funds, allocated by the MOF and the Ministry of Emergency Management, were distributed to five provincial-level regions: Hubei, Hunan, Guangxi, Chongqing and Guizhou.

As certain regions have been hit by the first round of sustained heavy rainfall of the year, flooding and geological disasters have been triggered across Hubei, Hunan, Guangxi, Chongqing and Guizhou. Two earthquakes of 5.2-magnitude also struck Guangxi's Liuzhou City in quick succession, causing casualties and damaging buildings.

The funds will be used to support emergency rescue and relief efforts, focusing on search, rescue and relocation of disaster-affected residents. They will also be used to mitigate hazards, inspect and remediate secondary disaster risks, and repair damaged homes, among other things.

The MOF urged finance authorities of the five regions to expedite disbursement of the funds to disaster-stricken areas to maximize their effectiveness, while strengthening oversight to prevent any irregularities.