Updated on
Summary
Engineers battled on Tuesday to drain an unstable lake created by China's deadliest landslide in decades, fearing it could burst and swamp devastated areas where people are still hunting for survivors. The death toll has risen sharply since Monday's official estimate of 337 dead in northwestern Gansu province when a tsunami of mud and rocks engulfed swathes of the small town of Zhouqu at the weekend. As of noontime today, there are 702 deaths and 1042 people missing, emergency relief official, Tian Baozhong, told reporters in Zhouqu. Fearing new downpours after days of sunshine that eased rescue work, local officials focused on preventing a catastrophic overflow of the brimming new lake formed by a loose natural dam created by the landslide. Water levels behind the barrier fell slightly after controlled explosions created a channel to funnel some off, and on Tuesday occasional blasts echoed around the valley. There is no sign of a let-up in the onslaught of the weather, with tropical storm China's mudslide death toll rises to 702 as authorities tackle the problem of an unstable barrier lake.
