Quake lake flood threat over
2008-06-11 09:03
Mianyang - Evacuees headed down from temporary camps on Wednesday after Chinese authorities declared the flood threat over from an earthquake-formed lake that was successfully drained the day before.
On the eve of the one-month anniversary of China's May 12 quake that killed nearly 70 000 people, soldiers, medical workers and politicians gathered in Beijing's Great Hall of the People to hear emotional testimonials about the massive aid effort.
The event was organised by the Communist Party's propaganda department and broadcast live on state television, underscoring the government's emphasis on positive coverage amid a long and daunting recovery effort.
In Sichuan province's Mianyang, the largest urban area directly threatened by the quake lake, people were again setting up tents and improvised shelters along city sidewalks, confident the flood threat had passed. Soldiers helped people carry mattresses and carts and motorised vehicles passed by loaded with plastic stools and bottled water.
Although they remained homeless, residents said conditions closer to home were far superior to those in the hastily erected camps in the hills where some had been living for almost two weeks.
"Life wasn't so good up there. When it rained the water didn't drain and sometimes it reached up to our ankles," said street sweeper Zhao Shuping, 46, who sought shelter on higher ground on June 2.
Life far from normal
The Fu river running through the city was running high and fast, and life remained far from returning to normal. Many city residents continue to sleep outdoors because of damage to their apartments or fear of the aftershocks that continue to shake the region. Large numbers of businesses were closed, some with sandbags stacked at their entrances to guard against flood waters.
At the Taohuashan camp overlooking the town of Qinglian, about 3 000 evacuees were still waiting for permission to return home. Authorities had told them they needed to disinfect the area before it would be safe.
Evacuees were suffering from exposure, with 10 people recovering in a clinic from heat stroke and numerous cases of the common cold.
China has ordered government departments to cut spending to free-up reconstruction funds for the estimated five million people made homeless, few of whom had insurance.
- AP