BEIJING, July 9 -- China is working to safeguard emergency telecommunications services in areas affected by a dike breach at the Dongting Lake, the country's second-largest freshwater lake, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said Tuesday.

The dike breach at the lake occurred on July 5, due to persistent heavy rain across Hunan Province.

Since the dike breach, the ministry has deployed workers, trucks and generators for emergency repairs, and has maintained normal telecommunications operations except in waterlogged areas, according to the ministry.

Local authorities announced late Monday that the breach, which led to the evacuation of over 7,000 residents, had been successfully sealed.