Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao described a powerful earthquake that struck southwest China on Monday as a "major disaster", and called for calm. "(When) facing (a) disaster, the most important thing is calm, confidence, courage and strong leadership," said Mr Wen, talking to China's CCTV television station on a flight to quake-hit areas. The 7.8-magnitude quake, which hit Wenchuan County in the southwestern province of Sichuan shortly before 2.30 pm, left at least 107 people dead and hundreds injured, according to the state-run Xinhua news agency. "The central party committee and state council require leaders at all levels to fight on the frontlines and lead the public to carry out rescue work," Mr Wen said. "I believe that under the leadership of the party and the state council the general public and the military will unite to turn the masses into an impregnable fortress. We will definitely overcome this major earthquake disaster," Mr Jiabao said. The speed with which the 65-year-old Premier was dispatched to the epicentre, within hours of the quake, indicated how seriously the ruling Communist Party was responding to the disaster. Chinese President Hu Jintao had already called for "allout" efforts in rescue work, and the military was quickly dispatched to the quake-hit areas.