Chinese auditors will launch an investigation into the use of snow-disaster relief fund and donations, the National Audit Office (NAO) said.

The office is to audit the local departments and organizations in charge of the relief in 19 snow-ravaged provincial regions, including Hunan, Hubei and Zhejiang, Zhao Ping, an NAO spokesman told Xinhua on Wednesday.

The audit will cover disaster-relief and reconstruction funds allocated by both the central and local governments as well as donations in cash and relief supplies.

NAO said the investigation, from April 1 to the middle of May, aimed to improve the management of the fund and donations, making sure all the aims be used on the needy place.

According to the latest governmental figure, domestic and foreign donations for the victims of China's severe winter weather totaled 2.3 billion yuan (about US$320 million).

The snow storms, attacking more than half of the country, claimed 129 lives, devastated 485,000 houses and damaged about 25 million mu in crops (about 1.67 million hectare). The direct economic loss was 151.6 billion yuan.

(Xinhua News Agency March 27, 2008)