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Beijing: The death toll from China’s disastrous 7.9-magnitude earthquake reached almost 70,000 on Thursday, as heavy rains and chemicals worsened the situation of China’s “quake lakes”.
A report from the Information Office of the State Council puts the death toll at 68,516 with the number of injured at 365,399 people, and 19,350 others missing.
A total of 15.15 million people have been evacuated from the quake affected areas.
Meanwhile, heavy rains and 5,000 tonnes of dangerous chemicals are worsening the situation at one of China’s “quake lakes”, a media report said on Thursday.
Funding for relief work has been increased by an extra 1 billion yuan ($144.2 million) to work on the swelling lakes, the Finance Ministry said.
Environmental authorities were working on removing about the 5,000 tonnes of chemicals including sulphuric and hydrochloric acid, which were collecting in Tangjiashan lake, the Beijing News said.
More than 150,000 people living below the Tangjiashan lake have been evacuated.
The chemicals have added to the problems of the already straining relief mission.
Heavy rain has also obstructed the efforts by more than 600 soldiers to drain the swelling lake.
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