More than 240,000 people who were evacuated from the cities of Mianyang and Suining will be able to return home in the next two days as the danger from a quake-formed lake dissipates in Sichuan Province, Xinhua news agency reported today.

To ensure a safe and orderly return, the government has arranged for residents to leave temporary shelters in groups at different times. The old, sick and young will be given priority.

The residents were evacuated two weeks ago when the lake's water level started rising and fears grew that it would burst and flood areas downstream in the mountainous region.

Though Tangjiashan's quake lake has dropped, experts have warned that dangers remain. Measures to eliminate risk still need to be taken, said quake-lake relief headquarters in Mianyang.

The Tangjiashan quake lake formed after landslides blocked the Tongkou River in Beichuan County, one of the worst-hit areas in the May 12 earthquake.

The lake's water level dropped to 713.79 meters above sea level at 8pm on Wednesday from Tuesday's peak of 743.1 meters. About two-thirds of the quake's 250-million-cubic-meters has been drained.

(Shanghai Daily June 12, 2008)