After the devastating 7.9 earthquake experienced by China on May 12, the government faces several major problems that demand great efforts for a proper resolution.

China’s officials managed to evacuate more than 150,000 people living in the Tangjiashan quake lake area, fearing that it could trigger significant flooding. For the past few days, Chinese officials have cut off all access roads and attempted to build several drainage channels using heavy equipment sets transported by helicopters.

Unfortunately, the heavy rains have made it impossible for authorities to operate the helicopters in secure conditions and the large quantities of water have also added a significant amount of pressure on the lake’s stability.

The lake, formed after a huge tremor modified the landlines and blocked a river, now threatens the lives of millions of people. Experts tried to identify the main areas that would be affected by the dam’s burst and immediately evacuated the neighborhoods, but the situation is far too unpredictable to just wait for the eruption to happen.

The Finance Ministry decided on offering an additional amount of one billion Yuan ($144.2 million) for the work on the recently surfaced 35 quake lakes.

The exact number of people killed in the tragic event has not yet been released and the searches for survivors and victims continue. Still, estimates show that at least 65,000 people were killed and more than 23,000 are missing.

The quake left approximately five million people without home. Several powerful aftershocks have struck the area hindering the relief efforts. The last aftershock hit the area on Sunday killing six other people and wrecking 300,000 more homes.