Asia-Pacific News
China demolishes temporary dam at Three Gorges project
Jun 6, 2006, 15:48 GMT
Beijing - Chinese engineers on Tuesday used 192 tonnes of dynamite to demolish a temporary dam that kept the waters of the Yangtze River at bay while the Three Gorges Dam was being built.
According to China's Xinhua news agency, the top 30 metres of the so-called cofferdam containing 190,000 cubic metres of concrete was demolished in a few seconds allowing the main wall of the dam to contain the river's full water pressure for the first time.
An Australian demolitions expert invited to witness the event called it 'the toughest blast in the world.'
Under construction for 12 years, the Three Gorges Dam was highly controversial due to alleged environment damage, geological risks and the resettlement of 1.3 million people that took place in its building.
© 2006 dpa - Deutsche Presse-AgenturCOMMENT
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