Chinese leaders urge landslide victims' rescue

BEIJING - Chinese leaders Xi Jinping, Wen Jiabao and Li Keqiang on Friday ordered all-out efforts to rescue victims of a landslide in Southwest China's Yunnan province in order to minimize casualties from the disaster.

The landslide hit Gaopo village in Zhenxiong county at around 8:20 am on Friday, burying the homes of 16 families. Thirty-nine people have since been confirmed killed.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, said efforts must be made to resettle affected residents and prevent secondary disasters.

He also asked agencies involved in disaster relief to give proper psychological treatment to affected residents, maintain public order, and successfully complete relief and reconstruction work so as to ensure stability.

The State Council, or China's cabinet, has sent a work group comprised of leaders from various government departments including the land and resources, civil affairs, finance, transport and health ministries to the landslide-hit zone to direct relief work.

The work group, headed by minister of land and resources Xu Shaoshi, will focus on solving practical problems on site.