Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
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June 8, 2008

Aftershock Hit 'Quake Lake' in China 
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=1C9294A:A6F02AD83191E160170460F7654F621130EB2FA2E66CBB22&
 
Xinhua news says aftershock of 4.8 magnitude struck the southwestern
province of Sichuan Sunday, causing massive landslides on mountains
surrounding the lake 

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Water from Tangjiashan 'quake lake' flows down landside site in
quake-devastated Mianyang City, Sichuan Province, 07 Jun 2008. 

Chinese state media say an aftershock has occurred at a lake formed by
last month's earthquake and that the growing body of water is
threatening to flood thousands of homes downstream.

Xinhua news says the aftershock of 4.8 magnitude struck the southwestern
province of Sichuan Sunday, causing massive landslides on mountains
surrounding the lake.

It says the aftershock's impact on the threatened area is under
surveillance.

Earlier today, Xinhua said the lake is still rising "dangerously"
despite efforts to drain the water safely.

Xinhua news agency quoted provincial official Zhang Ting as saying
inflow is four-point-six times greater than outflow at the lake.

More than 1.3 million people live downstream from the lake, created when
a quake-caused landslide formed a dam in the Tongkou river. About
250,000 people have been evacuated from their homes. 

The news agency said 600 police and soldiers have dug a channel to
divert water from the lake, and that work on a second channel has begun.

Xinhua quotes Army General Ge Zhenfeng as saying construction of the
drainage projects is going well, but that the lake remains dangerous for
people downstream.

The general, who is supervising the drainage projects, says it will take
a few days for the danger to be eliminated.

The 7.9 magnitude earthquake that hit Sichuan on May 12 killed more than
69,000 people. Millions more were left homeless.


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