President Xi urges all-out rescue efforts after deadly earthquake Rescuers clear the debris of a damaged house in quake-hit Majiagou Village of Minxian County, northwest China's Gansu Province, July 22, 2013. Fifty-four deaths have so far been confirmed in the 6.6-magnitude earthquake which jolted a juncture region of Minxian County and Zhangxian County in Dingxi City Monday morning. Xinhua/Guo Gang BEIJING, July 22 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping has called for all-out rescue efforts and the prioritization of life-saving measures following a deadly earthquake that has killed at least 75 people and injured more than 600 in northwest China's Gansu Province. The 6.6-magnitude quake jolted Minxian and Zhangxian counties at 7:45 a.m. Xi asked the Gansu provincial government and relevant departments to carry out rescue work in a timely manner and make their utmost efforts to reduce casualties. The president urged local authorities to provide assistance for the resettlement of quake victims, strengthen aftershock monitoring and take measures to prevent secondary disasters and minimize losses caused by the quake. Premier Li Keqiang also urged relevant departments to launch an emergency response mechanism and send working teams to direct rescue work as soon as possible. Professional rescue forces should be mobilized to assist in emergency rescue work, Li said. Gansu provincial authorities rushed to quake-hit areas to direct rescue efforts immediately after the quake. Backgrounder: Strong earthquakes in China since 2011 75 dead, 14 missing after Gansu quake LANZHOU, July 22 (Xinhua) -- The death toll has climbed to 75 after an earthquake hit northwest China's Gansu Province on Monday morning, local authorities said. As of 6 p.m. Monday, 73 people in Dingxi City and two in its neighboring Longnan City have been confirmed killed in the 6.6-magnitude quake that jolted the border of Dingxi's Minxian County and Zhangxian County at 7:45 a.m., said the Dingxi municipal government. 2,000 soldiers dispatched to China's quake-hit areas BEIJING, July 22 (Xinhua) -- More than 2,000 soldiers and officers as well as two helicopters were dispatched to quake-hit areas in northwest China's Gansu Province on Monday after an earthquake left at least 56 people dead.Full story