China's 'quake lake' threatens flooding

MIANYANG, China, June 6 (UPI) -- Chinese officials warned Friday of potential heavy flooding from the so-called "quake lake," born of the devastating Chinese earthquake.

The landslide mud that formed the Tangjiashan lake in southwest China's Sichuan province grew more unstable by the day as the amount of water behind it grew dangerously. Seepage already has been spotted.

A break could threaten thousands of people, the Xinhua news service says. A total of 240,000 people have been relocated as a precautionary measure and many others are on alert.

The May 12 quake, which has killed more than 69,000 people, triggered massive landslides in Sichuan, blocking the flow of rivers and creating more than 30 unstable "quake-formed lakes."

In addition to the official death toll, 18,000 people were still listed Friday as missing. Millions are homeless.