Guarding against disaster: China on alert

Dike patrolman Shao Wentao, 34, has been bowed down with anxiety in recent days. Looking across the Yangtze River at Wuhan, Hubei province, the mud flats he had inspected dozens of times were completely submerged by turbid water.

"The river is going up and our territory is getting smaller and smaller," he said.

Shao is working in a 40-strong team responsible for patrolling a 2-km segment for any signs of trouble, including seepage and bubbles, that could lead to a breach of the embankment.