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| Soldiers sterilize a street in Zhouqu County, northwest China's Gansu Province, on Aug. 30, 2010. Chinese rescuers Monday finished draining the stagnant water in the barrier lake formed after a mudslide blocked the Bailong River in Zhouqu County 23 days ago. (Xinhua/Liang Qiang) |
ZHOUQU, Gansu, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- Chinese rescuers Monday finished draining the stagnant water in the barrier lake that formed after a mudslide blocked a river in Zhouqu County in northwest China's Gansu Province 23 days ago.
The water level of the Bailong River returned to its normal level after the barrier lake was drained, Zhang Qinsheng, deputy chief of the General Staff of the People's Liberation Army, told journalists in Zhouqu Monday afternoon.
The barrier lake had flooded the riverside areas of Chengguan Township, Zhouqu County.
Chinese President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao said in instructions to the rescue workers in Zhouqu success in the dredging of the mud blocking the Bailong River was an important step for the relief work.
Military and civilian forces faced extreme difficulties but succeeded in overcoming the various hardships, creating better conditions for the reconstruction of Zhouqu, they said.
The leaders also encouraged the relief workers to make greater contributions to the reconstruction work in the remote mountainous town.
Some 1.5 million cubic meters of mudslide debris blocked a 1.2 kilometer-long section of the river, raising the river water level by 10 meters.
As the water retreated Monday, workers began spraying the previously-submerged areas with disinfectant.
At Guanba Street, one of the low-lying areas in Zhouqu, local residents joined soldiers to clear debris and mud, which is still 20 centimeters deep in some areas.
Provincial construction safety official Yang Fubo said 205 buildings that were inundated with mud and sludge need to be checked for safety.
Some of the buildings may need to be demolished before they are rebuilt, he added.
So far, 5,905 primary and secondary school students, about 97.6 percent of the total in Zhouqu, have begun the fall school semester as scheduled.
The avalanche of rocks and mud on Aug. 8 left more than 1,700 Zhouqu residents dead or missing.
