A massive floodcrest passed safely through the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River yesterday as devastated communities upstream cleaned up from floods that killed at least 181 people and injured thousands.

The floods were the worst in a century and central Hubei and Hunan provinces downstream on the Yangtze are bracing for the torrent of muddy water heading towards them.

An official with the Three Gorges Dam said water levels remained high and navigation on the reservoir was still suspended.

"The peak passed early in the morning. Today the water flow is still high but not at its highest," the official said. The locks would reopen and navigation could resume in two to three days, he said.

The world's largest hydroelectric project, built to tame the flood-prone Yangtze, now faces a test as residents downstream await the crest.

However, the lower reaches of the Yangtze are expected to be free from massive flooding unless they also receive heavy rainfall, said Mei Jinhuan, chief engineer of the Hubei Provincial Flood Control Office.

So far, no major damage has been reported in Hubei or Hunan provinces, although communities near Dongting, the country's second-largest freshwater lake and a spillover for the Yangtze, are placed on alert. With the rains passing, relief work in flood-damaged regions of southwestern Sichuan Province and Chongqing Municipality turned to cleaning up the mess and preventing epidemics.

Sichuan disaster officials reported the toll had reached 106 dead and 25 missing. In neighboring Chongqing, the death toll had risen to 75 and 25 were missing.

Most of the deaths were caused by mudslides and flash floods sweeping through mountain valleys after five days of heavy rains beginning last Thursday.

Floods have receded in most areas and local governments are now focusing on bringing life back to normal for the flood victims.

The government of Quxian County, a flood-stricken area in Sichuan, is assisting some villages to repair water, electricity and gas networks, which broke during the flood. They are also helping to provide adequate food and water for flood victims.

In Dazhou City, a seriously affected area in Sichuan, the death count climbed to 69, with 14 people still missing.

As some 75 percent of the 1.36 million residents in Quxian were affected by floods, the county government has earmarked 7.68 million yuan (US$925,300) for relief work and shipped tents and instant food to victims. The central government has also allocated 32 million yuan as emergent relief funds to Sichuan.

In Dazhou, people cleaned dirty streets and medical departments disinfected flooded areas. Life in urban areas has largely returned to normal.

The severe floods were considered the worst in Sichuan this year. They affected 5.95 million people in 44 counties, toppled 67,000 houses and damaged approximately 251,000 hectares of cropland.

Also yesterday, two out of three ship locks at the Gezhouba Dam downstream of the Three Gorges resumed operating after a 32-hour closure due to the passing of the flood peak.