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SICHUAN: China said 69 dams are in danger of bursting, while hundreds of others are in a dangerous situation. The warning came as another strong aftershock measuring 6.4 magnitude rocked Sichuan province.
Officials and relief teams are rushing to tackle the risks, which include those posed by barrier lakes – formed after rivers were choked by landslides.
With the weather station forecasting heavy rainfall in the coming days, soldiers are getting down to blowing up barriers at Tangjiashan, one of the biggest 'quake lakes'.
Tents stretch over miles and miles en route to Anxian, 150km north of Chengdu. Red banners are hung across streets, bearing words of encouragement for quake victims.
Two weeks after the devastating earthquake on May 12, Sichuan is on high alert for epidemics. Disinfectant stations can be found along highways leading to quake-hit zones to prevent the spread of disease.
More relief camps are also seen in Anxian. Officials said more than 4,500 people are being housed there. 90 percent of them are from nearby mountain villages, which remain inaccessible by road.
A barrier has been formed across the Chaping River after the quake threw down debris. The river flows into Mianyang city – the second largest city in Sichuan.
Strong aftershocks and rain could raise the water levels of quake lakes, and the more water the lakes shore up, the more dangerous they would be as the barriers could burst and unleash serious flooding.
The onset of the rainy season – forecast within weeks – is adding urgency to the work of rescue teams who are trying to excavate the site.
While villagers from Chaping Village have fled their damaged homes, there are still signs of life, a transport official said.
Jiao Xiyou, Sichuan Transport Bureau, said: "We're trying to create a pathway to help ease the water levels. When the water levels come down, the victims who used to live up there can go back to their homes and get their cattle down."
With aftershocks still rattling the quake-hit zones, the Land and Resources Ministry has warned that more quake lakes could form, threatening lives and buildings downstream.
This would mean things could go further downhill for quake survivors who are trying to put pieces of their homes and lives back together.
- CNA/so
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