LANZHOU, April 19 (Xinhua) -- Evacuees in northwest China's Gansu Province started to return to their homes in the early evening of Thursday as water pouring from a cracked reservoir upstream slowed to a trickle.

    By 7 p.m., the water flow had slowed and the bottom of the reservoir could be seen. Workers were starting to repair the crackand to inspect the safety of nearby reservoirs.

    In Xiangdao village about eight kilometers downstream from the reservoir, the water flowed into an adjacent river, deluging farmland on its way.

    A highway bridge linking Gaotai Township and Xiangdao Village was destroyed by the water and the highway was closed.

    An embankment of a reservoir in Gansu Province cracked around midday on Thursday, causing water to flood surrounding farmland and villages, local authorities reported.

    The rift in the ten-meter high dam was reportedly 15 meters long and water came pouring out into an area where four villages are located.

    Wang Aiqin, head of the publicity department of the Gaotai county government, said about 1,700 residents initially had to be evacuated.

    Some of the houses in Xiaohaizi village were flooded but not destroyed, Wang said.

    There had been downpours earlier in the week, and the extra rainfall may be a factor in the crack, Wang said, adding that water conservancy experts have been asked to assess the cause of the burst.

    The Xiaohaizi Reservoir has a storage capacity of 3.5 million cubic meters. It was initially built in 1958, and has gone through several renovations and expansion projects. The most recent renovation lasted two years from 2002 to 2004, according to the local government website.