Heavy rains triggered a landslide which blocked a river in central China's Hubei Province early Tuesday. It threatened nearby villages. The huge landslide slid into a portion of the Qingjiang River in the Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture. It turned the river upstream into a dam. A few hours after the landslide however, a gush of water from the dammed-up river broke through. The discharge reduced the risk that the water inside the dam would suddenly breach and flood downstream. More than 8,000 residents in the areas affected were evacuated. No casualties were reported.