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BEIJING: The death toll in the devastating earthquake in southwest China on Friday crossed 55,000 with nearly 25,000 people still missing, as Beijing, struggling to provide shelter to lakhs of survivors, braced for a new threat from the swelling "quake lakes" in the already battered region.
In the disaster zone on his second trip, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said the focus of relief work has shifted from rescuing lives to rehabilitating the quake victims and local society.
"It will be a harder and long-term task," he said in Beichuan county, one of the worst-hit by the quake measuring 8 on Richter Scale.
Sichuan Vice Governor Li Chengyun said rescuing survivors still remained the top priority 11 days after the quake rocked the province, where 55,239 have been confirmed dead and 24,949 people were still missing.
He said the authorities had set a three-year goal to rebuilt the towns flattened by the quake in the worst hit Sinchuan province where alone the quake has left 281,066 people injured.
"Quake lakes" which were formed after landslides and mudflows blocked rivers continued to pose threat to several villages in the temblor-battered areas.
Of the 34 such lakes in Sichuan province, eight hold more than three million cubic metres of water, adding potential danger for the already quake-shattered people.
To compound matters, the Chinese National Meteorological Centre has forecast that rains might sweep the quake-hit south-west regions next week and further push up the water level in the lakes. Authorities are making efforts to evacuate people living downstream of the lakes, official Xinhua news agency said.
In the disaster zone on his second trip, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said the focus of relief work has shifted from rescuing lives to rehabilitating the quake victims and local society.
"It will be a harder and long-term task," he said in Beichuan county, one of the worst-hit by the quake measuring 8 on Richter Scale.
Sichuan Vice Governor Li Chengyun said rescuing survivors still remained the top priority 11 days after the quake rocked the province, where 55,239 have been confirmed dead and 24,949 people were still missing.
He said the authorities had set a three-year goal to rebuilt the towns flattened by the quake in the worst hit Sinchuan province where alone the quake has left 281,066 people injured.
"Quake lakes" which were formed after landslides and mudflows blocked rivers continued to pose threat to several villages in the temblor-battered areas.
Of the 34 such lakes in Sichuan province, eight hold more than three million cubic metres of water, adding potential danger for the already quake-shattered people.
To compound matters, the Chinese National Meteorological Centre has forecast that rains might sweep the quake-hit south-west regions next week and further push up the water level in the lakes. Authorities are making efforts to evacuate people living downstream of the lakes, official Xinhua news agency said.
