Race to drain China quake lake
Lake created by last month’s earthquake threatens to cause widespread flooding.
Heavy equipment has been flown in by helicopter to the remote mountain area.
Officials hope the operation to drain the lake will prevent the dam from bursting and causing massive flooding.
The work has been made all the more urgent with aftershocks continuing to trigger further landslides and forecasts of heavy rains threatening to put more pressure on the lakes.
| In depth: China quake |
|
Pictures: Devastation |
A contingency plan has been put in place to evacuate some 1.3 million more people from towns and villages downstream if the operation to divert the water does not go according to plan.
The number of dead from last month’s quake has topped 69,000 with nearly 18,000 more still listed as missing and 5 million people left homeless.