FoundAgain
June 5th, 2008, 03:42 PM
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gBr_dOzJ9Pnc_U9gSgtTgE-cR-KwD913P3BG0
Magnitude 5.3 aftershock hits China
By CARA ANNA – 12 hours ago
MIANYANG, China (AP) — A 5.3 magnitude aftershock struck China's quake-battered Sichuan province Thursday amid concerns over rising water levels in a lake formed by landslides from the massive May 12 temblor.
The U.S. Geological Survey reported the aftershock struck at 12:41 p.m. (12:41 a.m. EDT) just south of the town of Qingchuan at the relatively shallow depth of 6 miles.
There were no immediate reports of new damage or injuries. Authorities had earlier begun evacuating people downstream from Tangjiashan lake, formed above the devastated town of Beichuan, after water rose to within 6 feet of flooding its bank.
Authorities plan to drain lake water through a diversion channel as early as Thursday. By noon, people in the downstream city of Mianyang had begun moving to higher ground. Several tent camps set up to house quake victims were empty and police and army troops were blocking roads into low-lying areas.
The flood threat has been exacerbated by waves formed by aftershocks and continued heavy rain in the mountains upstream, the report said, citing unnamed officials monitoring the situation.
Steep hillsides that plunged into river valleys during the May 12 quake blocked rivers and formed more than 30 new lakes. Explosives and heavy machinery have been used in several cases to clear the rubble.
Magnitude 5.3 aftershock hits China
By CARA ANNA – 12 hours ago
MIANYANG, China (AP) — A 5.3 magnitude aftershock struck China's quake-battered Sichuan province Thursday amid concerns over rising water levels in a lake formed by landslides from the massive May 12 temblor.
The U.S. Geological Survey reported the aftershock struck at 12:41 p.m. (12:41 a.m. EDT) just south of the town of Qingchuan at the relatively shallow depth of 6 miles.
There were no immediate reports of new damage or injuries. Authorities had earlier begun evacuating people downstream from Tangjiashan lake, formed above the devastated town of Beichuan, after water rose to within 6 feet of flooding its bank.
Authorities plan to drain lake water through a diversion channel as early as Thursday. By noon, people in the downstream city of Mianyang had begun moving to higher ground. Several tent camps set up to house quake victims were empty and police and army troops were blocking roads into low-lying areas.
The flood threat has been exacerbated by waves formed by aftershocks and continued heavy rain in the mountains upstream, the report said, citing unnamed officials monitoring the situation.
Steep hillsides that plunged into river valleys during the May 12 quake blocked rivers and formed more than 30 new lakes. Explosives and heavy machinery have been used in several cases to clear the rubble.