To fend off danger of a possible major flooding, 1,800 soldiers arrived on Monday on foot at the Tangjiashan barrier lake formed from landslides from mountains in Beichuan County, each carrying 10 kilograms of explosives to blast open the barrier.
Beichuan county was the epicenter of the recent 8-magnitude earthquake.
The lake is now holding more than 128 million cubic meters of water and may cause a devastating flood in adjacent areas if the barrier burst. More than 30,000 residents downstream have been evacuated to higher grounds.
Emergency workers also called in helicopters, to take vital earth-moving equipment for repair work.
Liu Songlin, Commander of Armed Police Hydropower Troop One, said his troops are now "fighting with time to combat the possible flood."(Www.hxen.com)
"The water level in the lake is rising rapidly, we are working equally hard to ensure that the man-made openings in the dam are constructed in time to alleviate water pressure in the lake."
According to the authority, all barrier lakes formed after the massive May 12 earthquake in southwest China's Sichuan Province are "under control" but the situation is still urgent. The risks have been heightened as high winds and thunderstorms were forecast for the area in the coming days.
