An earthquake in China on the weekend triggered landslides that have blocked rivers and created rapidly growing bodies of water that could unleash more destruction on survivors of the disaster that killed 410 people, state media reported on Thursday.
More than 2,300 people were injured and 12 are missing after the magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck the southwestern province of Yunnan on Saturday. It was the region's strongest quake in 14 years and destroyed thousands of buildings.
"A huge quake lake containing more than 3,000 cubic meters of water has inundated dozens of homes and continues to threaten nearby villages," the Xinhua news agency quoted hydrological officials as saying.
"Its water level is increasing at a speed of 30 cm per hour, putting seven power stations in the lower reaches in danger," the news agency said.
Thousands of police, soldiers and fire fighters have been sent to help but rescue work is being hampered by poor infrastructure, aftershocks and debris in the mountainous
Official media have also reported acts of heroism including a soldier distributing food fainting from hunger and university students forsaking their studies to join the rescue effort.
Earthquakes frequently strike the region. A quake in Sichuan province, also in the southwest, in 2008 killed almost 70,000 people.
Photo: Rescue workers are transported into an earthquake zone on a front loader in Ludian county, Zhaotong, Yunnan province, August 5, 2014. Reuters
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