Over 1,500 police, firemen and officers and men from the Chinese People's Liberation Army joined the rescue operation Friday around the area of Tuesday's gas blowout that killed at least 191 people in Kaixian County, southwest China's Chongqing Municipality.

Divided into 80 teams, the rescuers will search for victims over an area of about 80 square kilometers.

The efforts came after Hua Jianmin, state councilor and secretary-general of the State Council, arrived at the site with a rescue team at 1:15 a.m. Friday.

Hua visited camps where evacuated people were accommodated, expressing sympathy and condolences on behalf of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council.

Hua called for continued efforts in the evacuation, and said food and water supplies for relocated people must be guaranteed.

The natural gas field, operated by the China National Petroleum Corporation, is 337 kilometers northeast of Chongqing Municipality. The accident took place Tuesday night when a well blowout suddenly released a high concentration of natural gas and sulfurated hydrogen.