(Yicai Global) Sept. 7 -- The magnitude 6.8 earthquake that struck China’s southwestern Sichuan province earlier this week has so far claimed 74 lives. A lake formed by landslides is draining naturally and no longer poses a threat to downstream areas. However, with heavy rains expected, further landslides could still be a problem, Yicai Global has learned.

As of 9 p.m. China time yesterday, 26 people were still missing and 259 were injured by the earthquake that rocked Luding county, Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture on Sept. 5, People’s Daily reported.

A lake that was dammed off Wandong River, a major tributary in the area, by landslides is draining on its own and the danger has passed, local residents told Yicai Global.

Landslides are a big problem in this mountainous terrain. Heavy downpours can still lead to more landslides and mudflows, said Xu Qiang, vice president of Chengdu University of Technology and executive deputy director of State Key Laboratory of Geohazard Prevention and Geoenvironment Protection. The risk of landslides and mudflows is much higher than after the 6.1-magnitude quake in Lushan county on June 1. 

Usually, during the peak summer vacation season, the town of Moxi would welcome tens of thousands of tourists every day, the owner of Pearl Garden Hotel in the small town close to the quake’s epicenter told Yicai Global. Now it is rescue workers who are making use of his hotel.

After the earthquake, everyone gathered in the town square, he said. Some 50 tents were erected that night, each accommodating up to 30 people. The next day, another 20 or 30 tents went up, he said.

Between 20 percent and 30 percent of buildings lost their roofs after the earthquake, he said. All the houses in this town are made from brick and concrete, he added.

Plenty of bottled water and instant noodles are being supplied free of charge, the hotel owner said. Telecoms vehicles have also arrived to ensure smooth communications. And road access was cleared the first day so all rescue and other vehicles can enter and leave the area smoothly.

The Sichuan government has said it will spare no effort to find and rescue the injured, resettle those affected by the quake, unblock access routes and do its best to prevent aftershocks and secondary disasters. It is also speeding up the repair of infrastructure in quake-hit areas to minimize casualties and disaster-related losses.

Editors: Shi Yi, Kim Taylor