Rescue teams work to block the dike breach of Dongting Lake in Huarong county, Yueyang city, Central China's Hunan province, July 7, 2024. [Photos by Cao Boyuan/For chinadaily.com.cn]
The dike breach along the Dongting Lake at a township in Hunan province is expected to be sealed off by 12 am on Tuesday, according to local authorities.
A total of 87.3 meters of the dike breach has been sealed off as of 3 pm on Sunday, as first respondents make the most efforts to close the 220 meters of gap that has occurred in the dike in Tuanzhou township, Huarong county, in Hunan's Yueyang city, according to a news conference.
The breach occurred at around 5:48 pm on Friday. A similar breach took place at the township in July 1996.
Zhang Yingchun, executive deputy governor of Hunan province, said emergency rescuers are racing against time to seal off the dam. With the cooperation of trucks and ships carrying the rocks, they can proceed constructing 60 to 80 meters of dam per day. A total of 100,000 cubic meters of rocks are needed to close the gap, she said.
Rescue teams work to block the dike breach of Dongting Lake in Huarong county, Yueyang city, Central China's Hunan province, July 7, 2024. [Photos by Cao Boyuan/For chinadaily.com.cn]
More than 3,700 personnel have conducted patrols at the embankment around the clock. There have been seven accidents, which have been handled, and the embankment is under stable condition, she said.
A total of 7,680 people have been transferred and properly settled after the breach and there has been no immediate report of casualties or injuries from the accident, she said.
