Three Gorges Probe
December 6, 2001
A massive landslide that occurred Dec. 1 in Zigui county near the Three Gorges dam still threatens the area, China Central Television (CCTV) reports.
The 300,000 m3 of rock and earth that split off from the mountain at an elevation of 400 metres and slid down to 185 metres is still hanging there, 30 km upstream of the dam site, CCTV said.
The Xinhua news agency reported that the “serious landslide” led to “huge cracks on the mountain,” and halted local transportation, communications and water supply.
No injuries have been reported from the initial landslide. Emergency teams from Yichang city and Zigui county arrived in the danger zone in time to help 136 people from 53 households leave the town of Goujiaba, CCTV said.
The reports say that shipping on the Yangtze River has so far not been affected.
The Three Gorges dam is being built in a geologically unstable area that is prone to landslide disasters. A survey by the Changjiang Water Resources Commission earlier this year identified 1,320 locations in the Three Gorges area that are at risk of landslides and mud-rock flows.
Categories: Dams and Landslides, Three Gorges Probe
Patricia Adams
Dai Qing
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