China's Tangjiashan quake lake was still dangerous despite drainage efforts that started on Saturday morning, Water Resources Minister Chen Lei said.

Between 400 mm and 500 mm of rainfall, well above the normal level, was forecast upstream in June and July. This posed a challenge for the already swollen lake, he told Xinhua.

Aftershocks, landslides and leakage were also threatening the lake's barrier, said Chen, who was at the site to guide the emergency work.

Landslides could take place on mountains not far from the lake, which could put another 17 million cubic meters of rocks and earth into the water. The lake's barrier would immediately burst and workers on the barriers swept away if it happened.

Soldiers were still widening and deepening a sluice channel to speed up the drainage with the help of 30 bulldozers and excavators. They were also digging a second sluice channel.

Tangjiashan Lake was formed by a massive landslide following the May 12 earthquake that jolted the country's southwest. It was posing a major threat to 1.3 million people downstream.

(Xinhua News Agency June 8, 2008)