Relief in China as 'quake lake' drains

Updated June 11, 2008 14:44:44

Rushing water released from a quake lake flows through the evacuated, earthquake-devastated city of Beichuan. [AFP]

China has declared victory in its battle to drain a dangerously unstable "quake lake" formed in the aftermath of last month's Sichuan earthquake, threatening more than one million people.

Chinese media says excess water has been successfully drained from the lake.

Hundreds of troops and engineers were mobilised to dig diversion channels to drain the water, using dynamite and even short range missiles to clear debris and boulders.

Authorities were concerned the lake would burst its banks, flooding the homes of 1.3 million people downstream.

Torrents of muddy water have gushed out of the lake, sweeping through towns and villages in Sichuan province that were flattened by last month's devastating earthquake which left more than 86,000 people dead or missing.

The water in the lake has now fallen below the top alert level without causing any major flooding problems downstream.

Now the soliders' focus is shifting to a number of other smaller lakes formed after last month's earthquake, also in danger of bursting their barriers.