More than 30 similar lakes were formed by the earthquake two weeks ago. "It is threatening millions of lives in the area downstream and any negligence will cause new disasters to people who have already suffered the quake," he said. On Tuesday, Vice-Premier Hui Liangyu visited the lake to observe work there. Hundreds of troops and engineers have been using earth-moving equipment to dig a channel in a bid to drain the water. If the water bursts through the natural barrier of rock and earth, more than one million people may have to be relocated, China Daily said. Liu Ning, chief engineer of the Ministry of Water Resources, says it now holds as much water as 50,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools. The lake's water level is rising by more than one metre per day. The aftershocks, coupled with heavy rain, are hampering relief efforts.Īccording to Chinese media, a total of 158,000 people have now been evacuated from potentially vulnerable areas downstream from Tangjiashan lake.
The death toll from the devastating earthquake now stands at 67,183.Īnother 20,790 people are listed as missing and more than five million people are homeless.Īftershocks are continuing to rock the region, and on Tuesday 63 people were injured, including six critically, in Qingchuan county, Xinhua news agency said. The water level in Tangjiashan quake-formed lake in southwest Chinas Sichuan Province is expected to fall on Tuesday. Thousands are under threat if the water spills over from the 'quake lake'Īlmost 160,000 people have now been evacuated from areas below a rising "quake lake" in Sichuan province, Chinese state media say.Įxperts fear Tangjiashan lake, formed in the 12 May earthquake when a landslide blocked a river, could burst its barrier and deluge the area.Ĭhinese leaders say tackling the newly formed lake and dozens like it is now the "most pressing" task. The ministry also asked the local bureaus to accommodate these children properly and help them recover from the impact of the quake. With the number of homeless children increasing, the ministry told its local bureaus to look after these children and try to locate their parents or other relatives. on Thursday, the confirmed death toll in Sichuan alone was 19,509 and more than 50,000 people were estimated dead after the most devastating earthquake since 1949 rocked southwestern Sichuan Province on Monday. In the meantime, local governments will take responsibility for looking after these orphans.Īs of 4 p.m. With order gradually being restored in the quake-stricken regions, the government will arrange adoptions, sources said. The ministry said many domestic and international organizations and individuals had shown concern over those orphaned during the quake, and some had even proposed to adopt orphans. Qualified people can adopt quake orphans in conformity with the law, once order has been restored in China's quake-hit regions, according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs said on Friday.
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