Rescuers to work non-stop to lower dangerous barrier lake in Yunnan quake zone

Rescuers are digging a canal to divert water from a giant barrier lake, formed by landslides during the deadly earthquake in Yunnan province, which threatens to deluge villages and power stations.

The channel, five metres wide and eight metres deep, is expected to be finished in five days, state news agency Xinhua reported.

The effort was to prevent massive casualty caused by possible burst of the lake. The 6.5-magnitude earthquake had left at least 615 people dead and another 114 missing; more than 3,143 people were injured, and 230,000 relocated.

After landslides blocked the Niulan River near Hongshiyan village, the barrier lake has swelled and threatened to flood nearby villages and seven hydropower stations downstream.

By yesterday morning, the lake had flooded 90 hectares of farmland, 368 houses and 7.4 kilometres of roads. Its overflow will affect 9,000 residents upstream and more than 30,000 residents downstream, as well as a total of more than 2,766 hectares of farmlands, according to the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters.

Authorities have relocated about 5,000 residents. Two hydropower stations downstream have reserved storage for the discharged lake water, the Water Resources Department of Yunnan province said.