Enshi acts as fears grow over landslide

A landslide that has affected thousands of residents in Enshi city, Hubei province, is still deforming and expanding due to the continuous rainfall, but various measures have been taken to clear up the block and prevent possible flooding, the city government said on Wednesday.

By Tuesday afternoon, 8,397 residents nearby have been evacuated with nobody injured.

The massive flow was triggered by sustained rainfall starting June 8 in the city, with more than 1.5 times the amount of water coming down than previous years, according to the local meteorological department.

On Friday, roads and houses scattered on a highland beside Qingjiang River, a Yangtze River tributary began to crack, and local staff members responsible for disaster monitoring reported it to the local geological bureau.

The landslide area kept expanding. By 6 am on Tuesday, about 1.5 million cubic meters of mud and stones had fallen into the river and formed a barrier lake in the upper reaches of the tributary.

"This was a typical natural disaster due to the heavy rain and its landform vulnerable to geological disasters. Fortunately, the proper predictions and warnings have helped evacuate local residents in a timely manner," said Pan Wei, a senior engineer with the China Geological Survey.

According to the provincial geological bureau, the landside area shaped like a tongue, was about 1,200 meters long and between 320 to 580 meters wide by Tuesday, and it is still deforming.

Su Yong, mayor of Enshi, said that the government had decided to open two water reservoirs along the tributary to prevent the barrier lake from overflowing and threatening villagers in the lower reaches.

"The reservoir upstream is discharging water, which has helped gradually break the barrier and reduce risks of flash floods," he said. "The other reservoir down the lake is releasing water to make room for floods that may run down from the barrier lake."

Measures began paying off as the local water resource bureau said on Tuesday that the water level of the tributary had dropped below the warning level for flood. Also, the reservoir downstream has reserved room equal to five times the total volume of the barrier lake in case it bursts.

However, the majority of local residents are facing drinking water shortages due to the reservoir's excessive discharge and muddy water blended into the water source.

In response, the local government has sent dozens of water supply vehicles to aid schools, hospitals and nursing homes and handed out relief materials.

Pan, the engineer, suggested that the next steps needed are to analyze the developing trend and risky areas of the landslide at all times, to further clear up the block and to monitor the water level and report in a timely manner.