DW-World.de
Deutsche Welle

In China, thousands of people from a village near the epicentre of Monday's earthquake are heading for higher ground due to worries about possible flooding. Xhinhua newsagency reports that a lake formed when the earthquake blocked a river in the north of Sichuan province. The lake level is reportedly rising rapidly and threatening to burst its banks. Teams from several countries have arrived in the region to assist in the rescue and recovery effort. Officials now say that the 7.9-magnitude quake has left nearly five million survivors homeless. The confirmed death toll stands at 28,000 with tens of thousands of others missing. President Hu Jintao, who is in the region, has urged rescue workers to work as quickly as possible to save more lives. A German tourist missing after the quake has been found alive and well.