CHINA:THE DEATH toll from the Sichuan earthquake is heading towards 70,000, but tales of hope are still emerging from the rubble.
Forty starving people were rescued from a remote village in the southwestern Chinese province yesterday, more than a fortnight after the 7.9-magnitude quake rocked the region.
They came from Yangjiakou village, which lies about 20 kilometres from the nearest town. The survivors had not managed to get out because of landslides.
As heavy rains overtook the quake zone, the prevailing mood became one of fear.
There are concerns that a "quake lake" at Tangjiashan could burst and flush about 5,000 tonnes of dangerous chemicals downstream, precipitating an environmental disaster.
In a broader sense, if rainfall causes the lake to burst, flash floods would sweep across large tracts of Sichuan, bringing with them torrents of rubble.
This is harvest time in China's grain basket, and there could be no worse time for widescale destruction.
State media reported how the hardy group of villagers in the quake-shattered mountains were rescued by a military helicopter having survived on rice and herbs for 16 days.
The May 12th earthquake has so far killed over 68,000 people and displaced more than 15 million.
The focus of the relief work at the moment remains on the deeply troublesome quake lake, which authorities need to drain if they are to relieve pressure on the millions of people downstream.
The lake was formed after the earthquake triggered landslides and blocked a river.
So far, nearly 160,000 people have been evacuated downstream of the area where diggers are clearing channels for the water to flow off.
Engineers are working to make sure that there is a controlled release of water from the lake at Tangjiashan, rather than a torrent, said Ma Ning, a top regional official with the nation's environmental protection bureau.
In a sign of a theme that could develop over coming months, there have been reports of quake aid being abused or diverted by corrupt officials, something sure to cause huge unhappiness if it is proven to be true.
The ruling Communist Party said it has set up a special body to oversee the proper use of aid and vowed "quick, strict and harsh penalties" for abuses.
The input from foreign aid organisations has been acknowledged, including foreign assistance from Japan's military to the quake-ravaged areas, an unprecedented move.