Heavy rain in North Korea has killed 40 people, stranded thousands in
flash floods and caused “massive” damage on the weekend, the
International Federation of the Red Cross and North Korean media have
said.
More than 11,000 people were forced out from their homes by the
floods, which hit the northeastern city of Rajin, near the border with
Russia and China, on Saturday and Sunday, Hler Gudjonsson, a spokesman
for the Red Cross in Beijing told Reuters.
Rajin is the capital of the Rason Special Economic Zone in North Hamgyong Province.
“It rained really hard, and fast. On Saturday morning the city was
flooded. Cars were wading through water like boats,” a source who was in
area when it flooded told Reuters.
It was not clear what impact the rain would have in a country that
said in June it was suffering from its worst drought in a century. South
Korea said in July some rain had fallen in the North, easing
conditions.
North Korean state media said there had been 40 “casualties” and
“massive” damage after 250 mm (9.5 inches) of rain fell over the
weekend. About 155mm (6 inches) fell in just three hours on Saturday, it
said.
Following the downpour, authorities in neighbouring China worked with
North Korean border officials to evacuate 484 Chinese tourists,
according to a Chinese news website, stranded when part of the sole road
to the border was washed away.
(Reuters)
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