A 100-meter stretch of the Yangtze River embankment in east
China's Anhui province collapsed on Saturday, an official with the
local waterway administration said.
The accident occurred early on Saturday in the marshlands near
the river outside the city of Wuhu and resulted in more than 6,000
square meters of land falling into the river.
About ten warehouses belonging to a shipyard, a few cranes and a
barge fell in the water. No casualties were reported but an elderly
couple was rescued from the barge before it toppled into the
river.
Hu Guangjin, an official with the Wuhu Yangtze River Waterway
Administration, said the collapsed area was mainly marshland and
the top embankment of the Yangtze River dyke, and would not pose a
threat to the main embankment.
"Water from the upper reaches of the river formed a vortex here,
which exerted a strong force against the marshland and the
embankment. This may have been the reason for the collapse," Hu
said.
However, other people believe the construction of a new berth in
the nearby Jiangdong Shipyard had loosened the foundations of the
dyke and caused the collapse.
On Sunday morning, earth was still pouring into the river. All
production has been suspended and repair work is underway.
(Xinhua News Agency December 3, 2007)
