Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and some officials with the State Council left Beijing Sunday noon for landslide-hit Zhouqu County, Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in northwestern Gansu Province.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao speaks during an urgent meeting on disaster relief of the landslide-hit Zhouqu County during the flight en route to the site, Aug. 8, 2010. Wen Jiabao Sunday left Beijing for landslide-hit Zhouqu County, Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in northwestern Gansu Province. [Li Xueren/Xinhua]

Chinese President Hu Jintao and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao have given clear instructions: Gansu Province and related departments must put people's lives first, sparing no efforts to save lives.

Guidance should be given to ensure those affected are kept from danger and efforts should be made to ensure that they can continue with their lives, they stressed.

While carrying out their work, rescuers must also be cognizant of the interests of people located "both at the upper and lower reaches and on both sides of the river" and deal with the barrier lake in a scientific way, they said.

Key infrastructure should be repaired quickly, especially roads, power and communication facilities, to ensure transportation of rescuers and relief materials, they said.

Soldiers and armed police should fully support rescue efforts, they said.

Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang and Chinese Vice Premier Hui Liangyu also gave instructions.

The rainstorm-triggered landslides which occurred around midnight in Zhouqu County, have left at least 98 dead and over 2,000 missing.

A barrier lake had formed on the Bailong River at around 1:00 a.m., which led to flooding.

At least 50,000 residents in the county seat and nearby regions were believed to be affected as floods had submerged half of the county and many houses were buried by landslides, local authorities said.

Sludge as thick as one meter was spread over some roads in the county.

The downpours in the county have petered out, but the prefecture's meteorological bureau has forecast heavy rains on the upper reach of the Bailong River on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Two helicopters carrying demolition experts left for the landslide-hit county at 6:30 a.m. Sunday to destroy the barrier lake by blowing up debris blocking the Bailong River's flow, according to the provincial flood relief headquarters.

Medical teams and more than 2,800 troops from the military and armed police force had also been sent to the county to help with disaster relief.