[imText1]”It seemed like a large pillar of water was standing there.”
Civilians in Icheon, Kangwon expressed the above regarding the heavy downpour which hit the region on the 8th.
“This isn’t the only village which banished beyond recognition. In Icheon alone, there are tens of places. All the valleys have disappeared in this mountainous region.”
Chosun Shimbo, the publication of Chongryon (General Association of North Korean Residents in Japan), which is daily reporting the current situation of North Korea’s flooding, had a visit in Icheon, Kangwondo on the 27th and reported in detail extent of the damage.
Shin Hyun Chan, the People’s CommitteeNorth Korean people's committees are akin to local governmen... More Chair for Icheon, said, “Between the 8th and the 10th in Icheon, a historic 840mm of rain fell. The Shindang Reservoir embankment fell due to the downpour, so 180 people died and 18 are missing.”
The reservoir was constructed in 1933 and is 274m long, 15m high, and has 1.74 million cubic meters in storage capacity.
The waterfall from the 8th to the 10th covered the village below when the 70m of the weakest section of the embankment fell and the water is supposed to have flowed to the center of town. An average of 2.5m of the 2,843 residential houses and 102 party offices were submerged.
By the time the Chosun Shinbo reporter visited the village, hundreds of villagers were carrying out cleaning projects of the riverbank on level land adjacent to the embankment. The Shinbo reported that merely hands were used to move rocks and to prevent the water current without any equipment or apparatus. Originally, there were farms and corn fields and fish farms on this flat land, but now, only small and large rocks and pebbles were scattered.
According to the testimony of the civilians, in the mountainous region where the warning broadcast of the party authorities could not be heard, even greater damage has resulted.
The most concentrated amount of rainfall fell between 3 to 5am on the 9th. The reservoir embankment is supposed to have erupted around 4am. The People’s CommitteeNorth Korean people's committees are akin to local governmen... More of that region warned the civilians of large-scale damage by driving around cars that broadcasted the news. The size of damage to the 4th region of Shindang was significant, but due to prior broadcasting, the number of deceased was 2. However, in villages unreached by the car, there were considerable tolls on lives.
The flood victims were living in tents provided by the Red Cross on the riverbank approximately 1km from the direction of the reservoir. Huh Geum Hee (26), who was living with her husband and mother-in-law, said, “It is uncomfortable now because there is no running water, but we have been ensured of food provisions and daily necessities.”
What the People’s CommitteeNorth Korean people's committees are akin to local governmen... More is trying to pursue as priorities are the renovation of roads and the recovery of water, electricity, and communication networks. However, Chairman Shin said, “We have labor power, but are going through difficulty due to the lack of restoration materials.”
He added, “The flood has overwhelmed the entire country. The state putting out its hands every time something like this happens does not solve the problem. Now is the time to display our own strength for survival.”
