China’s Quake Lake Threatening to Burst; Key Oil Pipeline in Path of Floodwaters

Efforts to drain an earthquake-spawned lake in China have reached a critical point as heavy rains and strong aftershocks have officials worried Friday that a debris-filled dam could burst.

The Tangjiashan lake was formed when landslides set off by the 7.9 magnitude earthquake on May 12 blocked a river. Water levels in the lake have been rising, increasing pressure on the unstable wall of mud and rock.

Soldiers worked for days to carve a 1,300-foot-long spillway in an effort to drain the lake before it burst. With water levels still 2 feet below the spillway, workers are now scrambling to deepen the drainage channel.

In addition to towns and survivor camps downstream, the lake also threatens a key oil pipeline just 37 miles away that belongs to the state-owned China National Petroleum Corp.

Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao toured the area around Tangjiashan lake after checking on relief efforts in Sichuan province.

69,127 people were killed and 17,918 are still missing following the May 12 earthquake.

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