LANZHOU, Dec. 19 -- Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing has rushed to the quake-hit regions in northwest China after a 6.2-magnitude earthquake jolted a county in Gansu Province at midnight Monday, calling for all-out efforts for quake relief.

Zhang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, visited the townships of Dahejia and Shiyuan in Gansu, as well as Zhongchuan in Qinghai Province, the worst-hit areas in the quake, on Tuesday.

He inspected temporary shelters, rescue sites, and hospitals to check the resettlement of quake victims and the progress of relief work.

Stressing that the top priority should be saving lives, Zhang urged efforts to search for the missing and send more medical staff to treat the injured.

He also called for moving faster to repair the damaged infrastructure to ensure the power supply and communication in quake-hit areas and keep road traffic under control to secure the smooth flow of relief goods.

Zhang asked local authorities to closely monitor aftershocks and secondary disasters to prevent new casualties and quickly distribute relief items to those affected by the quake to support their basic needs.

As of Tuesday evening, the earthquake has killed 127 people -- 113 people in Gansu and 14 in Qinghai -- and injured hundreds.