Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao ordered to remove barriers and open up roads to epicenter before 12:00 PM Tuesday after a strong earthquake jolted southwest China's Sichuan Province Monday afternoon.

Wen held an emergency meeting at 07:00 AM Tuesday morning, saying "We must try our best to open up roads to the epicenter and rescue people trapped in the disaster-hit areas."

The 7.8-magnitude quake, which occurred in Wenchuan Monday afternoon, has killed 9,219 people in eight affected provinces and municipality including Sichuan, Gansu, Shaanxi, Chongqing, Yunnan, Shanxi, Guizhou and Hubei, the ministry said in a release issued at 7:00 AM.

The road from Dujiangyan, a city northwest of the provincial capital Chengdu, to Wenchuan, the epicenter, was blocked by rocks and mud slides, holding up rescue, medical and other disaster relief teams.

"At present, we have great difficulties to carry out our rescue work", Wen said, noting "Blocked road, disrupted communication and continuous rainfall have all created obstacles to our rescue efforts."

"People's lives and property safety are the top priorities and many people are still trapped in debris," the premier said, stressing "We must treasure every second and do our utmost to to save survivors."

(Xinhua News Agency May 13, 2008)