The Chinese government will allocate several billion yuan from the central budget reserve funds to support reconstruction in regions seriously hit by floods, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said on Monday. 

Li made the remarks when presiding over a video conference at the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters, days after continuous heavy rainfall hit central China's Henan Province and other regions.

The conference was attended by senior officials from Henan, Hebei, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui provinces as well as several central government agencies. 

Li urged authorities in Henan and other flood-hit regions to prioritize the evacuation of stranded people, calling for relentless efforts to minimize the number of casualties.

He also called for honesty, openness and transparency in releasing information about disaster relief. Efforts should be made to improve the early warning and response system, he added. 

In case of emergencies, decisive actions should be taken to suspend work, school classes and business operations except for special industries, he stressed. 

The premier called for effective measures to ensure people's safety in subways and tunnels, stressing that these facilities should be shut down in a timely manner in case of emergencies. 

Twelve people were killed last week after severe flooding submerged subway cars and trapped hundreds of passengers in Zhengzhou, the capital city of Henan Province. Meanwhile, a large number of vehicles were trapped in tunnels in the city during the heavy rain. 

Li said several billion yuan from the central budget reserve funds will be allocated to the worst-hit regions immediately to support reconstruction, adding that more funding will be provided as disaster losses are verified. 

The death toll from torrential rain in Henan had risen to 69 as of Monday noon, with five people missing, local authorities said. Nearly 13 million people have been affected in the province.