As a result of the magnitude 8.0 earthquake in Sichuan province of China on 12 May 2008 , many rivers became blocked by landslides , resulting in the formation of so-called quake lakes : large amounts of water pooling up behind the landslide-formed dams . These dams eventually broke under the weight of the water , endangering those downstream . At least one Mi-26 belonging to a branch of China 's civil aviation service was used to bring heavy earth moving tractors to the quake-lakes at Tangjiashan mountain , located in difficult terrain and accessible only by foot or air
earthquake in Sichuan province
2008 Sichuan earthquake
Mil Mi-26