A senior official of the Communist Party of China (CPC) said Thursday that Party officials and members must be at the forefront in disaster relief and reconstruction work as some parts of China continue grappling with a series of severe floods and massive mudslides.

Grassroots Party organizations and members in disaster-hit areas must work hard to ensure the safety of people's lives and property, said Li Yuanchao, head of the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee, at a meeting in Beijing.

He added that Party officials must go to disaster scenes to lead relief work and take the initiative to shoulder responsibilities.

He also called on party members to organize disaster-stricken residents to restore production and make a living with their own hands, to help solve difficulties in life, and to maintain social stability and harmony.

Party organizations and members in other areas should actively provide assistance in various ways to disaster-hit areas, he said.

Party members across China have been seen at the forefront of several major disaster relief operations in recent months.

China, this summer, has suffered the worst flooding in at least a decade. The most deadly rain-triggered disaster occurred on Aug. 8, when massive mudslides devoured the mountainous Zhouqu County in northwest China.

The mudslides have claimed 1,364 lives with 401 people still missing as of 4 p.m. Thursday.