Beijing - Heavy rain forecast over the next three days and the continuing risk of flood, landslides and aftershocks on Wednesday hampered efforts to house some 10 million people who were homeless or needed rehousing after a devastating earthquake in south-western China.

The National Meteorological Bureau forecast moderate or heavy rain for the next three days in the mountainous area of Sichuan province which bore the brunt of an
8.0-magnitude quake that killed at least 40,000 people.

Provincial vice-governor Li Chengyun warned that the rain and possible aftershocks could cause up to 21 lakes to burst their banks, the official China Daily said.

The government was trying to reduce the risk of flooding from the lakes, the newspaper quoted Li as saying.

About 5 million people were made homeless on May 12 after the quake razed most buildings in many towns and villages close to the epicentre.

A similar number of people required evacuation from ruined settlements or dangerous locations, reports said.

The government said some 280,000 tents had arrived in Sichuan and another 700,000 were ordered, but the province estimated that it needed about 3 million tents to house everyone.

Premier Wen Jiabao on Tuesday pledged to deliver 6,000 portable housing units to Sichuan in the next two days, 250,000 units by the end of June and one million units within three months.

Wen urged the Water Resources Ministry to set up 24-hour patrols of dams and reservoirs in quake-hit areas for the next few days, the newspaper said.

Wen led a meeting of the State Council, or cabinet, which said it planned to send 40,000 more tents in the next few days and 30,000 daily from the start of June, plus some
800,000 awnings next month.

The meeting ordered all transport teams to prioritize delivery of tents and awnings.

Rescue teams are still searching rubble for survivors despite the diminishing chances of finding anyone alive.

At least two people were rescued on Tuesday, including an elderly woman who had been buried for more than eight days, state television said.

Teams of public security employees were also working in the worst-hit areas to take photographs and DNA samples from unidentified bodies so that they could be buried as soon as possible to minimize health risks.

The government on Tuesday said more than 32,000 people were reported missing after the quake. (dpa)