Beichuan, one of the worst-hit areas in the May 12 quake, will be rebuilt on a new site, Xinhua reported yesterday quoting local authorities.
The location has not been decided, but it is likely to be on the flat land of neighboring Anxian county, 20 km from the current site, said an official with the Sichuan provincial government.
"Safety is the top priority in selecting a location," said Beichuan Party chief Song Ming. "We plan to build a monument and a memorial to commemorate the quake victims on the current site."
The current county seat, surrounded by mountains ranging up to 1,000 m high, was practically leveled in the magnitude-8 quake. About 70 percent of the buildings were destroyed, and "not a single building is safe", said Song.
More than 8,600 of the 13,000 people in the county seat were killed in the quake.
"It is impossible to rebuild the county seat at the original location or nearby," Song said.
The provincial government has finished a draft plan for the reconstruction of Beichuan, said a provincial government official who did not want to be named.
Meanwhile, rescuers were evacuated from Beichuan yesterday because of fears of a lake bursting after heavy rain started on Tuesday afternoon.
A landslide last Thursday blocked Jianjiang River that runs around Beichuan, forming a 40-m deep lake near the county seat.
The lake was considered dangerous yesterday because of continuous aftershocks and rain.
"Only a small number of soldiers are staying behind to monitor the water level in the lake," a local police officer said, adding the area has been cordoned off.
"Most members of the rescue and medical teams, policemen and volunteers have been evacuated," he told China Daily.
The threat of an epidemic was another factor behind the evacuation, the officer said, adding that people and vehicles leaving the town were sterilized and medical workers were spraying disinfectant over the debris.
（英语点津 Helen 编辑）
About the broadcaster:
Bernice Chan is a foreign expert at China Daily Website. Originally from Vancouver, Canada, Bernice has written for newspapers and magazines in Hong Kong and most recently worked as a broadcaster for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, producing current affairs shows and documentaries
