Chinese Premier Li Qing visits quake-hit areas

Beijing: Chinese Premier Li Qing has asked the rescue and relief teams to make sure that people in the quake-hit areas live through the winter safely as he visited the affected villages in northwest China.

Li visited several villages in Jishishan County of Gansu province as well as Minhe County in the neighbouring Qinghai province on Saturday.

The region was struck by a 6.2-magnitude earthquake at midnight Monday, leaving 148 people dead and 781 injured besides toppling many buildings.

During the visit, Li talked with people affected by the disaster and learned about the work related to resettlement, relief supplies, and the construction of temporary dwellings.

He said the top priority of current relief workers was to ensure the affected people stay warm and safe in winter, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Li urged relief workers to race against time to send relief supplies and daily necessities to the victims.