Two earthquake survivors weep as they take in the devastation left by last week's earthquake in Beichuan, in China's southwest Sichuan province, Thursday, May 22, 2008. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu

Pengzhou, China (AP) The latest fear from central China's devastating earthquake is flooding from new lakes that could be unleashed by more aftershocks.

Earthquake survivors living downstream from lakes formed by blocked rivers in Sichuan Province are being evacuated as a precaution. Nearly three dozen new lakes were formed from quake debris that created barriers across rivers, causing the water to pool behind them.

Meantime, China's government says rebuilding cracked roads and shattered buildings will probably take three years.

The confirmed death toll has climbed past 55,000 and nearly 25,000 other people are still missing.

All nuclear facilities in the quake area are safe but experts are still trying to secure more than a dozen so-called “sources” of radiation.