Special report: Strong Earthquake Jolts SW China

    OTTAWA, May 15 (Xinhua) -- Canada will provide financial aid to China in the aftermath of a devastating earthquake that hit southwest China's Sichuan Province on Monday, Minister of International Cooperation Bev Oda said Thursday.

    The federal government will match private donations made to aid groups working on disaster relief in China, she said.

    "We're constantly talking with the organizations on the ground and we're going to be responding as they assess their needs and get their requests into us," Oda told reporters in Ottawa.

    Meanwhile, local governments and the public also offered financial help to China. The Ontario provincial government announced Thursday it would provide 1 million Canadian dollars (about 1 million U.S. dollars) to China. Premier Dalton Mcguinty expressed condolences for the victims and solicitude for survivors Monday, immediately after the earthquake happened.

    "We know that every citizen of our world is a neighbor. So we stand with our Chinese neighbors in their time of need," he said.

    Canadian public have been active in donating to support the earthquake relief work. More than 500,000 Canadian dollars (500,000 U.S. dollars) has been collected up to Thursday, according to the Canadian Red Cross.

    More than 50,000 people are feared dead in Sichuan province alone after Monday's 7.8-magnitude earthquake, the rescue headquarters of the State Council said Thursday.

    The confirmed death toll in Sichuan was 19,509 by 4 p.m. (0800 GMT) Thursday, up by 5,046 from Wednesday's 14,463, according to Li Chengyun, vice provincial governor of Sichuan.