 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Quake lake pours through devastated Chinese town
Beichuan, China (AFP) June 10, 2008 A torrent of muddy, brown water from a breached quake lake poured through the deserted Chinese town of Beichuan on Tuesday, sealing the fate of the already doomed community's destruction. Surging rapids from Tangjiashan lake gushed into the centre of Beichuan and spilled down side streets as previously evacuated locals watched from ridges surrounding the town. "It's really hard for me to take, our city was so good and beautiful but now there's nothing left. My heart aches," said Zhu Yunyou, a 54-year-old farmer who lost his house in the May 12 earthquake. The lake at Tangjiashan, just above the town, was created when landslides blocked a river in mountainous Sichuan province during the quake. It has emerged as one of the key challenges in post-disaster relief efforts. Authorities had warned that more than a million people could be at risk if the unstable dam burst its banks, and more than 250,000 in most imminent danger were evacuated. "The situation is much better now. About half of the lake has been drained," Capt. Qi Huangqing, a helicopter pilot with a state-owned aviation firm, told AFP. Qi was flying specialists, soldiers and others away from Tangjiashan to the nearby town of Leigu aboard a giant Russian-built helicopter. About 400 people were to be brought out Tuesday, with a small group left to monitor the lake, he said. Beichuan was one of the areas worst-hit by the quake, with most buildings either destroyed or badly damaged. All former residents have been evacuated from the town, which will be rebuilt at a different location several kilometres away, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. A police checkpoint on the Beichuan outskirts stopped people from entering the town on Tuesday, citing the risk from the draining. Near the checkpoint, backhoes were clearing away the debris of destroyed homes. The May 12 quake was the worst natural disaster to hit China in a generation, killing 69,146 people and leaving 17,516 others missing, according to the latest official toll. Related Links Bringing Order To A World Of Disasters When the Earth Quakes A world of storm and tempest
Quake babies bring joy amid China's tragedy
Dujiangyan, China (AFP) June 9, 2008Liu Dongmei's road to motherhood ended with a heavily pregnant shuffle down the middle of a five-lane highway and through the flaps of a white tent. |
|
|
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright Space.TV Corporation. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space.TV Corp on any Web page published or hosted by Space.TV Corp. Privacy Statement |
