The crest of the flood from China's main Tangjiashan "quake lake" passed safely by downstream Mianyang City, Xinhua reporters witnessed on Tuesday afternoon.

There were between 300,000 and 400,000 people left in the city when the crest passed, said Tan Li, the city's Communist Party chief and also its Quake Control and Relief Headquarters head.

More than 250,000 people in low-lying areas had been relocated under a plan based on the assumption that one-third of the lake volume breached the dam.

(Xinhua News Agency June 10, 2008)