(March 28, 2014) Once again, an earthquake has hit the Three Gorges reservoir area and dam officials are reassuring the public that the world’s largest hydropower plant is operating normally. The epicenter of a 4.3-magnitude earthquake struck Zigui County, just 30 km from the Three Gorges Dam at 12:20 a.m. March 27, 2014.  Stay tuned while Probe International investigates the cause and effect of this latest tremor.

Three Gorges Dam not affected by tremor

By Gu Liping for China state news agency, Xinhua, published on March 27, 2014

Read this article on the China Daily website

The Three Gorges hydropower project in central China was operating normally after a 4.3-magnitude earthquake jolted the area early on Thursday, operators said.

The epicenter of the tremor which happened at 12:20 a.m. was in Zigui County, some 30 km from the Three Gorges Dam, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center.

The quake was felt at the dam area but has not affected the normal operation of the project, said an administration official from the China Three Gorges Corporation.

The water level and the navigation of ships in the Three Gorges reservoir were normal with no reports of any large landslides, the official added.

Authorities in Zigui are checking whether there were any casualties or property losses.

The Three Gorges project is a multi-functional water control system, consisting of a 2,309-meter-long and 185-meter-high dam, a five-tier ship lock, and 26 hydropower turbo-generators.

The project generates electricity, controls floods by storing excess water and helps to regulate the river’s shipping capacity.

Read analysis of previous earthquakes at the Three Gorges Dam

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