CCTV9英语新闻：Drones capture images of desolation（在线收听）

China has released images of the destruction caused by the earthquake that hit its southwestern province of Yunnan on Sunday. Four drones were used to fly over quake-hit Longtoushan, taking hundreds of striking images.

Images, capturing scenes of desolation.

The drones took over 400 pictures of an 60-square kilometer area covering Niu-lan River and Hongshiyan Village, about 8 kilometers from the epicenter.

"We can see the severity of the disaster from these pictures. The major obstacles now affecting the rescue operation are barrier lakes, landslides and blocked roads," said National Geomatics Center deputy director Luo Jianjun.

Concerns are growing over a lake that was formed after tons of earth fell into the Niulan river. Water levels have gone up 30 meters and are still rising, threatening residents living downstream.

"The barrier lake was formed about 8 kilometers from the epicenter Longtoushan Town. This is the aerial image we captured last year. You can see the difference. And from the 3-D model, we can see the water area has become three times larger," Luo said.

Landslides have posed another major challenge, blocking main roads leading to disaster areas and hampering search and rescue efforts.

Thousand of villagers nearby have been relocated, but experts have warned of potential risks downstream of Niulan River due to the barrier lake.