China's disaster relief departments have initiated a first-class emergency response for disaster relief work in the quake-hit areas in Qinghai Province.

The decision was made by Civil Affairs Ministry and State Disaster Relief Commission on Wednesday afternoon.

The first class emergency response means relief funds allocated by the country's financial departments should be delivered to quake-hit areas no later than 24 hours after the quake. Relief materials should be sent to the affected areas by train or airline as quickly as possible.

Also, a nationwide donation campaign should be organized, and worldwide collections should be put under centralized management.

A 7.1-magnitude earthquake hit northwest China's Qinghai Province early on Wednesday, which has left about 400 people dead and 10,000 others injured, according to local authorities.

Chinese Vice Premier Hui Liangyu has urged to take the rescue work as the first priority at the conference of the earthquake relief work headquaters held in the worst-affected area late Wednesday.

Hui arrived at the quake-hit Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Yushu in northwestern China's Qinghai Province at around 7:20 p.m.

Hui called for joint efforts of the military forces and the local people to search and rescue the trapped and injured people and to minimize the casualty.

He called for further efforts in the allocation of the homeless people and other measures to secure the social stability.

Hui also visited some injured people and medical care workers in the area.

The Public Security Ministry (MPS) has dispatched 1775 firemen, 460 police officers and 160 medical care workers from provinces and regions including Guangdong, Sichuan, Gansu, Yunnan, Tibet and Ningxia to the affected areas as of 10:45 p.m, with life-detection equipment and rescue dogs.

The rescue teams from the MPS have saved more than 900 people from the debris of collapsed houses.

The MPS also has urged traffic authorities of Qinghai province to ensure the delivery of relief workers, materials and injured victims and to prevent major traffic jams or car accidents.

The ministry has urged all traffic policemen to stay at work and carry out upgraded patrol.

Qinghai traffic authority has set up an emergency response team and green pathways in the entire transportation network of Qinghai.