Aftershocks threaten swollen China 'quake lake'
Posted: 09 June 2008 2020 hrs

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CHENGDU, China : Aftershocks Monday continued to threaten the stability of a swollen "quake lake" in southwest China, amid urgent efforts to drain its rising waters to prevent a flood downstream.

A 5.0-magnitude aftershock rattled the area of quake-devastated Sichuan province where the lake is located on Sunday, US seismologists reported, and China's state Xinhua news agency reported two further tremors on Monday.

A local official in the city of Mianyang, located not far from the Tangjiashan lake, said he had not felt the first of Monday's aftershocks, adding that they had so far not had any impact on the unstable body of water.

But Xinhua said Sunday's aftershock had caused "massive landslides" on nearby mountains, sparking fears that the lake could burst its banks at any time.

The lake has become one of the most pressing issues in the aftermath of the May 12 quake that struck mountainous Sichuan, killing 69,136 and leaving 17,686 others missing, according to the latest toll issued Sunday.

Millions more have been left homeless by the 8.0-magnitude quake, which triggered huge landslides that blocked rivers and created more than 30 unstable "quake lakes," including the Tangjiashan one on the Jianjiang river.

Soldiers were rushing Monday to clear a third channel to drain water from the lake, the state-run China Daily reported, in a race against time to reduce the risk that it might burst its banks.

Troops began draining water through one hastily dug channel on Saturday to stop the lake from emptying all at once -- which would put the lives of hundreds of thousands of people downstream in danger.

But the situation was still "highly dangerous", state television said.

The water resources ministry said Monday the water level had risen by nearly one metre (three feet) in a 24-hour period -- double the rate of the water flowing out through the drainage channels.

About 6,900 cubic metres of water -- the equivalent of nearly three Olympic-sized swimming pools -- were flowing into the lake every minute, the ministry said.

Soldiers working at the lake triggered 10 explosions on Monday to accelerate drainage, but only 3,000 cubic metres of water were now flowing out every minute, Xinhua reported.

Torrential rain was forecast for much of southern China over the next few days, but was not expected to affect quake-hit areas of Sichuan, the country's meteorological centre said.

The quake zone was however due to see searing hot temperatures -- an unwelcome piece of news for the millions of displaced people living in tents.

Heatstroke and related ailments are bringing increasing numbers of people from the refugee camps, where the displaced swelter in their tent homes, to a field hospital in quake-ravaged Dujiangyan.

"This could be a very big problem as the weather gets hotter," said Zou Hejian, who heads up the medical staff at the temporary facility.

- AFP/ir