Late Sunday night, Wen Jiabao told a meeting of government officials that, "for those who are buried under the debris, now is the most crucial time to save their lives."

He said the search and rescue work must not be halted as long as the possibility for finding survivors still exists.

The Premier instructed the rescuers to locate places where the most people were buried or trapped, and to clean the sludge as soon as possible.

Wen also noted that the county's traffic, power supply, and telecommunications services should be resumed as soon as possible.

The meeting continued until nearly 2 a.m., Monday morning.