China quake toll rises to 65,080, with 23,150 missing

Mianyang: The death toll from the May 12 earthquake in China reached 65,080 on Monday, with another 23,150 missing, a government spokesman said, while Premier Wen Jiabao believes the toll could exceed 80,000.

Meanwhile, China planned to dynamite rock, mud and rubble forming a dangerously large "quake lake" on Monday, hoping to avert a new disaster two weeks after a catastrophic tremor struck Sichuan province.

Chinese soldiers carrying 10 kg of dynamite each arrived on Monday at the Tangjiashan lake, one of dozens formed by the earthquake, to try to blast away rubble, Xinhua news agency said, as heavy rain and high winds were forecast.

The lake's barrier was in danger of bursting after the water rose by nearly two metres on Saturday to 723 metres, only 29 metres below the lowest part of the barrier.

"The lake is now holding more than 128 million cubic metres of water and may cause a devastating flood if the barrier bursts," Xinhua said.

Although Mianyang, a city near the worst-hit areas, had returned to a kind of normality, aftershocks continue to rattle nervous residents, with many sleeping outdoors even when their homes are unscathed.

A strong aftershock on Sunday killed at least six people, injured nearly 1,000 and toppled more than 70,000 houses.