69 Chinese dams damaged
Cracks run on the top of a dam in Wenchuan, China's– Nearly 70 dams scarred by the force of China's most powerful earthquake in three decades were in danger of bursting, the government said Sunday, while looming rains added to worries about relief efforts for millions of homeless survivors.
The confirmed death toll from the May 12 quake rose to 62,664, with another 23,775 people missing, Cabinet spokesman Guo Weimin said. Premier Wen Jiabao has said the number of dead could surpass 80,000. A magnitude 5.8 aftershock rattled the quake area...snip
The government had earlier said some 391 dams had been affected by the quake, mostly small structures.
Sichuan is home to the world's largest water project, the Three Gorges dam located about 560 kilometres east of the epicentre, which authorities have said was not damaged in the quake.
Meanwhile, the State Meteorological Bureau said Sunday that parts of Sichuan would suffer "heavy and even in some areas torrential rains" later Sunday and Monday, warning of possible mudslides.
Some people paused Sunday to attend church almost two weeks after the quake hit. In Chengdu, worshippers gathered at the Ping'an Bridge Catholic church to say prayers for the victims.
http://www.thestar.com/article/429758
