(07 Jun 08 - RV) The draining of an earthquake-formed lake in China’s Sichuan province
began today in a controlled diversion that alleviated the risk of flooding.
The
potential collapse of the lake had previously threatened to flood an area that is
home to one million people and drove authorities to evacuate more than 250,000 to
higher ground.
Engineers are monitoring bridges and river banks downstream
to see if they would hold under the rush of water while work crews attempt to build
a secondary channel to improve the flow.
Although the risk has tapered, hundreds
of thousands are still displaced by the May 12 earthquake.
Father Bernardo
Cervellera is the Director of Asia News. He told us about the hardships that the refugees
still face in the Sichuan province.