BEIJING, Aug. 18 -- China on Thursday earmarked 50 million yuan (about 7.37 million U.S. dollars) from the central natural-disaster relief fund to support rescue work following a mountain flood in northwest China's Qinghai Province.

The emergency funds were jointly allocated by the Ministry of Finance (MOF) and the Ministry of Emergency Management, the MOF said on its website.

The funds will be used for emergency rescue and disaster relief efforts, focusing on searching, rescuing and relocating the disaster-stricken people, secondary disaster detection, the repair of damaged houses, and other aspects, the MOF said.

As of about 12 p.m. Thursday, 16 people were confirmed dead and 36 others missing after the flood hit Datong Hui and Tu Autonomous County in Qinghai.

  - Xinhua