Rescuers race to strengthen embankment at China's second-largest freshwater lake

CHANGSHA, July 6 (Xinhua) -- About 2,000 rescuers are racing against time to strengthen an embankment after a dike breach at China's second-largest freshwater lake in central China's Hunan Province on Friday.

The embankment, which is viewed as the "second line of defense," is located about two kilometers away from the breached dike and is 14.3 kilometers long.

According to Chen Wenping, a local inspector, it is a difficult task because the embankment is not as strong as the dike, and has not been used to block water since 1996.

Xinhua reporters at the scene saw that rescue workers had cleared obstacles at the foot of the embankment, and Chen was instructing them on how to place sandbags.

The dike breach that occurred on Friday afternoon in the Dongting Lake was initially about 10 meters wide but expanded afterwards. The affected area near Tuanbei Village covers approximately 50 square km. This area experienced a dike breach in 1996.

Since noon on Saturday, the breach has resulted in more water inflow, which has posed a risk to the embankment. Experts warned that the embankment is crucial and must be strengthened in strict accordance with technical standards.

Meanwhile, rescuers are also trying to block the breach. As of 2:40 p.m. Saturday, water levels inside and outside the breach are flush and the water flow has slowed down. Zhang Xuanzhuang, with the China Anneng Group First Engineering Bureau Co., Ltd., noted that the work is expected to take four days.

As of 10 p.m. Friday, 5,000 residents in the affected area had been safely relocated. There were no immediate reports of trapped individuals or casualties.

Since June 16, Hunan has seen its heaviest rainfall of the year, breaking historical records in some regions.