Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality blasted a dangerous rock belt, which threatened the safety of highways, waterways and local residents living underneath, on Wednesday.

The Yaozuiyan rock belt, 1,000 m long and 3,500 cubic meters in volume, was blown up at 11 a.m. in Zhongba Village, Chengjiang Town, Beibei District, said Meng Xiangdong, chief engineer of the Chongqing MUnicipal Explosion Company.

The structure threatened the safety of the No. 212 national highway, Beibei District Hydrological Station, Jiangling River waterway and local residents who had lived beneath it since the 1970s.

It collapsed after the May 12 massive earthquake, he said.

To protect the highway, the explosion company had covered the road with 50-cm-deep and 200-m-long stone dust to ease the impact of falling rocks.

The No. 212 national highway and the Jiangling River were closed to traffic during the explosion.

(Xinhua News Agency June 12, 2008)