The death toll of China's Qinghai 7.1-magnitude earthquake rose to 589 as of 1:20 a.m. Thursday, according to the local quake-relief headquarters.

The headquarters have dispatched relief work groups respectively in charge of rescue, quake survivors' daily life, detecting aftershocks and health and disease control.

Jia Yingzhong, Party secretary of the Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture called for all local cadres to make all-out effort in rescue and relief work. Those who fail to do the job will be sacked immediately, he said.

(Xinhua News Agency April 15, 2010)