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17:11 GMT, Monday, 9 June 2008 18:11 UK

In pictures: China quake lake clearance

Engineers measure the drainage discharge from Tangjiashan lake (8 June 2008)

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The Chinese authorities have said a relatively strong aftershock has shaken the waters of Tangjiashan lake, created by the earthquake in Sichuan province last month.

Chinese soldiers work on military trucks loaded with boats in Mianyang, near Tangjiashan (8 June 2008)

Chinese soldiers work on military trucks loaded with boats in Mianyang, near Tangjiashan (8 June 2008)

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Efforts are continuing to prevent the lake from bursting its dam, threatening more than a million residents and a pipeline downstream.

Lorries are carried down a drainage channel from Tangjiashan (8 June 2008)

Lorries are carried down a drainage channel from Tangjiashan (8 June 2008)

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Latest reports say Tangjiashan's waters are still rising faster than they can be diverted through newly-created channels.

Soldier fires anti-tank weapon at Tangjiashan's dam (8 June 2008)

Soldier fires anti-tank weapon at Tangjiashan's dam (8 June 2008)

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The army has been firing anti-tank weapons at the dam, in addition to using more traditional explosives and bulldozers, to clear away rocks and mud, and to create extra channels.

A Chinese man climbs up a hill carrying a wardrobe salvaged from a house near Mianyang (8 June 2008)

A Chinese man climbs up a hill carrying a wardrobe salvaged from a house near Mianyang (8 June 2008)

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About 250,000 people have been moved to higher ground from the lake's immediate surroundings in case the dam bursts.

Soldiers use explosives to widen a channel to release water at Lake Shibangou (8 June 2008)

Soldiers use explosives to widen a channel to release water at Lake Shibangou (8 June 2008)

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Tangjiashan is the largest of more than 30 quake lakes created by the 7.9-magnitude earthquake on 12 May. Stemming the rise of water levels in each of them has become a priority for the government.

An elderly Chinese woman rests as other family members sleep in a tent in Chenjiaba, Sichuan province (8 June 2008)

An elderly Chinese woman rests as other family members sleep in a tent in Chenjiaba, Sichuan province (8 June 2008)

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Latest government figures put the death toll from the earthquake at 69,136 with another 17,686 people missing. More than five million people are homeless.

A Chinese woman weeps as she looks at pictures of children who died after their school collapsed in Luoshui, Sichuan province (8 June 2008)

A Chinese woman weeps as she looks at pictures of children who died after their school collapsed in Luoshui, Sichuan province (8 June 2008)

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The authorities estimate that thousands of those killed were children. Despite government promises, many parents fear there will not be a proper investigation into why so many schools collapsed.

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