Officials say the water level of a barrier lake in Tangjiashan in Beichuan County had dropped by nearly 3 meters to 750 meters this afternoon.

Professionals and materials are airdropped for operations to blow a barrier lake at Tangjiashan, Beichuan County, which was formed by landslides after the May 12 earthquake and now blocks the river Jianhe (Xinhua Photo)

To prevent the lake from bursting, armed police and PLA soldiers plan to remove the barrier by dynamite. Experts were dispatched to the site by helicopters on Monday morning. 1500 armed police have also arrived on the scene.

(CCTV May 27, 2008)