After learning the medical staff's poor living conditions and the shortage of first aid materials, Li urged local government and relevant central departments to guarantee the logistics and the supply of medical resources.

Li later visited Shuangshi and Longmen, the two townships that were damaged the most in the quake. In spite of the danger of continuous aftershocks, Li mounted a heap of ruins and asked rescue workers whether there were still people buried in the ruins.

"The current priority is to save lives," said Li, "we should grasp the golden period for saving lives and waste no moment."

He urged rescue workers to search every corner of the ruins to ensure no life will be missed.

Villagers crowded around after knowing Li had come, telling the premier about the situation at the moment of the quake and the damages to their families. Li listened carefully, and comforted a senior village, saying that the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the government will help them to pass the difficult time.

Li called a meeting at the front-line headquarters in Longmen Township, saying it is important to ensure enough tents on Saturday night for quake victims and prevent new casualties in aftershocks and secondary disasters. He also urged military units on rescue missions to restore communications to the isolated Baoxing County.

Li asked people in Sichuan not to be depressed by the disaster.

Li left Beijing for Sichuan at 13:15 pm Saturday. During the flight, Li listened to reports from relevant ministries and armed forces.

"The current most urgent issue is grasping the first 24 hours after the quake's occurrence, the golden time for saving lives, to take scientific rescue measures and save peoples' lives," Li said on the plane.

"Life is the most important thing and the top priority is saving lives, " Li said. No minute or even second should be delayed during the "golden rescue period" in the first 72 hours after the quake.

He urged rescuers to examine every house to ensure all the injured residents are saved amid continuous aftershocks.

Deaths and injuries should be reduced to the minimum. Medical staff must treat rescued people in a timely manner, Li said.

He also ordered the guarantee of accommodation, food and safe water for residents in the quake zone as well as measures against any epidemic situation.

Li called for efforts to prevent further tragedies caused by aftershocks and geological disasters such as landslides. Public awareness of self-protection should also be promoted by government departments.

He urged relevant departments to provide enough tents, materials for first aid, vehicles and other rescue and relief materials, waste no time to repair damaged facilities concerning electricity, communications and roads, so as to ensure timely and accurate delivery of disaster relief resources.

All reserve forces for disaster relief should be on stand-by 24 hours everyday to provide possible support for disaster areas.

Li urged strengthening the cooperation between central and local governments, so as to ensure scientific, effective, orderly and vigorous disaster-relief work.

He odered releasing accurate information on the disaster situation, quake-relief work as well as death toll and injuries in a timely manner so as to boost people' s confidence and thus make them reassured.

He also demanded preparation for post-disaster reconstruction work.

"We once underwent catastrophes and have experience in dealing with them. We have quite a fine emergency response system," Li said, adding that "under the strong leadership of the Party and government, and as long as we unite as one and conduct rescue work scientifically, we are able to minimize the losses and overcome the disaster."

Earlier in the day, Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered all-out efforts to rescue victims and minimize deaths and injuries.

The State Council, or the cabinet, has launched a first-grade emergency response to the earthquake. Emergency teams of ministries, armed forces and armed police are heading to the quake zone.

The epicenter, with a depth of 13 km, was monitored at 30.3 degrees north latitude and 103.0 degrees east longitude.

Ya'an has a population of 1.53 million and is known as the hometown of the giant panda. It is about 140 kilometers away from the provincial capital Chengdu city.