Exclusive: Easing flood fears at Tangjiashan

Meanwhile, more than 1,000 soldiers have arrived at the barrier on foot with about 10 tons of dynamite, which they will use to blast the lake barrier in case bad weather and low visibility which have continued to hamper airdrop efforts.

"I feel relieved this morning as we have reached the area," said Chen, who is in charge of dealing with the emergency situation of dozens of quake lakes in Sichuan. Quake lakes were formed after landslides blocked rivers.

During an interview with China Daily, Chen expressed sincere thanks to Russian pilots because of their bravery and encouragement. A Mig-26 helicopter can typically fly with a minimum visibility of five kilometers, but on Monday in Tangjiashan, the visibility was only two kilometers. "We asked for help in this difficult time, they agreed and finally we succeeded," he said.