Aftershock Near Quake Lake

The 20-second, magnitude five aftershock caused landslides on mountains near the Tangjiashan lake.

Soldiers have dug a diversion channel to help drain the lake and 250,000 people have been evacuated from the area since a devastating 12 May tremor.

The lake threatens to flood about one million people in the disaster zone.

Experts had warned the lake could burst at any time, sending millions of cubic metres of water down river valleys.

"The
water level of the Tangjiashan 'quake lake' in southwest China was
continuing to rise dangerously on Sunday despite the operation of a
man-made drainage channel since Saturday morning," Xinhua news agency
reported.

The inflow of water into the lake was nearly five times
more than the amount leaving it via the channel and as a result of
natural leakage, Xinhua said, citing Zhang Ting, head of the
hydro-meteorological bureau in Sichuan province.

"Controlling the
lake outflow is critical for the dam's safety," Zhang said, adding that
efforts to drain the lake would be boosted by the fact that there was
no rain in the forecast for Monday.