The China Meteorological Administration has warned of a high risk of further landslides caused by aftershocks and heavy rain. There are fears that this could put pressure on dams and reservoirs in the disaster zone.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has ordered 24-hour patrols to inspect dams and reservoirs as more heavy rain is forecast, reports ITV.com

Wen said that floodgates must be opened to run at low or even empty water levels and the dozens of “barrier lakes” formed by numerous landslides blocking river flows must be monitored for risk of breaches.

The China Meteorological Administration has warned of a high risk of further landslides caused by aftershocks and heavy rain, reports Bloomberg. There are fears that this could put pressure on dams and reservoirs in the disaster zone.

The government is also increasing checks on the Three Gorges dam which is about 1,000 kilometres away from the quake’s epicentre.