Aftershocks threaten ‘quake lake'

A 5.0-magnitude aftershock struck Sichuan province on Monday, threatening the stability of the Tangjiashan "quake lake," AFP reported. Soldiers have been racing to drain the lake, formed when landslides after the May 12 Wenchuan earthquake blocked a river, before it breaches its banks and causes massive flooding. But China’s water resources ministry said on Monday that the lake’s water level had risen by nearly one meter in a 24-hour period, twice the rate of the water flowing out through drainage channels. Separately, a seismologist with the China Coal Research Institute said the aftershocks would have a limited impact on "quake lakes," as their dams, made of loose earth, were capable of absorbing shocks.