Demolished Infra-Structure

Not only did the earthquake cause significant losses in human lives and property, it also caused hidden trouble and damage to many infrastructures. After the Wenchuan earthquake, many important infrastructures in quake-hit areas were demolished, and hydrological engineering systems and mining construction areas were particularly badly damaged. Geological disasters, such as landslides, debris flows, and collapse, caused serious problems for these infrastructures. Some reservoir dams were buried by landslides, or damaged by debris flows, and the earthquake threatened dam security. Barrier lakes in the upper reaches of dam reservoirs filled some dams with mud and sands, and the dam system buildings were flooded and damaged, shutting down dam operations. Although some dams were not damaged because they were positioned on stable ground, the landslides, debris flows, and collapse that occurred near the reservoirs weakened the stability of the reservoirs. Moreover, some mining area construction faced severe losses because mines were blocked and mine buildings and houses were damaged.