A breach happened to the dam of Bayi Reservoir in Wujiaqu City, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on January 22, the New Year's Day according to Chinese lunar calendar. Several companies of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps were dispatched immediately to do the rescue work. By now, all 13,800 endangered residents have been evacuated and are properly accommodated. No casualties have been reported though the waters submerged eight companies of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corporation (XPCC).

The dam leakages started in the afternoon of January 21.

 

A 60-meter-wide breach in the reservoir dike  is being narrowed thanks to efforts by over 2,000 soldiers, armed police and militia in the past two days.

 

By 10 pm on Friday, the water gushed out from the reservoir, known as "Bayi" or "August 1," at a slower speed of 30 cu m per second, and the water level in the reservoir fell to 2.4 m, said Zhang Qingli, Commander of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corporation (XPCC).

 

"The situation is brought under control," said Zhang.

 

The reservoir is located three kilometers north to the No. 102 Regiment of the Corp.. The water level is some 10-meter higher than the regiment headquarters premises. Though some barracks nearby were submerged, there have been no human or live stock casualty was reported.

 

The Xinjiang Military Area has set up a flood relief headquarters to put all the rescue work under its general command, with everyone of its top officers and a senior official with the central government's Flood and Drought Prevention Office being on the spot.

 

According to Li Yongxian, a division commander of the Corps, the reservoir was built in 1957 with a designed storage capacity of 30 million cubic meters of water and an actual capacity of 28 million cubic meters. The current water storage of the reservoir is 23 million cubic meters.

 

A panel sent by the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters has arrived at the flood-hit area.

 

(Sources from China.org.cn and Xinhua News Agency January 24, 2004)