Published on ShanghaiDaily.com (http://www.shanghaidaily.com/)
http://www.shanghaidaily.com/sp/article/2008/200806/20080610/article_362672.htm
City issues flood alert as quake lake drains
Created: 2008-6-10 15:41:29
Author:Yang Jian
A CITY downstream of the largest quake lake in Sichuan issued the second-highest flood alert this morning as water draining from the lake was moving quicker, Xinhua news agency reported today.
An artificial sluice has allowed water to draining from Tangjiashan lake as of Saturday, however, the flow of water increased this morning.
Mianyang City issued the orange alert at 10:55am today. If the alert is upgraded to red, all 600,000 residents would be ordered to evacuate, the report said.
The outflow of the lake has reached 9,780 cubic meters per second through the sluice channel as of noon, exceeding the safety level, Xinhua said.
A flood peak was expected to hit Mianyang at 3pm today, Xinhua said.
Relief work headquarters said the sluice was "under control" and called on residents not to panic.
More than 30 percent of land that may flood is unoccupied, headquarters said.
The city launched traffic restrictions on the Mianyang-Jiangyou Highway. Only vehicles from relief headquarters would be allowed to use the expressway, Xinhua said.
The city has begun to use reserve water supplies while the power supply was normal.
A Xinhua report said residents were rather calm.
An evacuation route has been planned. Relief headquarters said three evacuation maneuvers had been launched in the city. All residents can be evacuated to safe places within one hour, it said.
The water level was increasing in the city's river.
The water level of Tangjiashan lake dropped to 727.94 meters above sea level as of 2pm today, 21 meters lower than 10am today, the report said.
The lake would be safe if the level dropped to 720 meters. The level was expected to drop to the safe level at 3pm, Xinhua said.
Some landslides sparked by the drainage occurred along the channel, a CCTV report said. Another Xinhua report said "some cracks have appeared on the dam" because of the rapid water flow.
Landslides pose another threat, the CCTV report said, citing an official from relief headquarters.
All soldiers and engineers evacuated the area via helicopter as of 2pm. Only several observers remained at the lake area, Xinhua said.
The Tangjiashan Lake was formed when a landslide set off by the massive May 12 earthquake blocked the flow of the Tongkou River in Mianyang City in quake-hit Sichuan Province. The lake was holding 248.6 million cubic meters of water.
If the unstable dam gives way it will create a flood that could threaten many people already forced from their homes.
More than 250,000 have been evacuated as a precaution.
The Information Office of the State Council said the death toll from the May 12 earthquake rose slightly to 69,142 as of noon yesterday, with 17,551 others missing. More than 374,000 people were injured.
An artificial sluice has allowed water to draining from Tangjiashan lake as of Saturday, however, the flow of water increased this morning.
Mianyang City issued the orange alert at 10:55am today. If the alert is upgraded to red, all 600,000 residents would be ordered to evacuate, the report said.
The outflow of the lake has reached 9,780 cubic meters per second through the sluice channel as of noon, exceeding the safety level, Xinhua said.
A flood peak was expected to hit Mianyang at 3pm today, Xinhua said.
Relief work headquarters said the sluice was "under control" and called on residents not to panic.
More than 30 percent of land that may flood is unoccupied, headquarters said.
The city launched traffic restrictions on the Mianyang-Jiangyou Highway. Only vehicles from relief headquarters would be allowed to use the expressway, Xinhua said.
The city has begun to use reserve water supplies while the power supply was normal.
A Xinhua report said residents were rather calm.
An evacuation route has been planned. Relief headquarters said three evacuation maneuvers had been launched in the city. All residents can be evacuated to safe places within one hour, it said.
The water level was increasing in the city's river.
The water level of Tangjiashan lake dropped to 727.94 meters above sea level as of 2pm today, 21 meters lower than 10am today, the report said.
The lake would be safe if the level dropped to 720 meters. The level was expected to drop to the safe level at 3pm, Xinhua said.
Some landslides sparked by the drainage occurred along the channel, a CCTV report said. Another Xinhua report said "some cracks have appeared on the dam" because of the rapid water flow.
Landslides pose another threat, the CCTV report said, citing an official from relief headquarters.
All soldiers and engineers evacuated the area via helicopter as of 2pm. Only several observers remained at the lake area, Xinhua said.
The Tangjiashan Lake was formed when a landslide set off by the massive May 12 earthquake blocked the flow of the Tongkou River in Mianyang City in quake-hit Sichuan Province. The lake was holding 248.6 million cubic meters of water.
If the unstable dam gives way it will create a flood that could threaten many people already forced from their homes.
More than 250,000 have been evacuated as a precaution.
The Information Office of the State Council said the death toll from the May 12 earthquake rose slightly to 69,142 as of noon yesterday, with 17,551 others missing. More than 374,000 people were injured.
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