Yanggang Province’s city of Hyesan has been hit hard by recent monsoon rains, causing widespread flooding and damage to homes.
On Wednesday, a Daily NK source in Yanggang Province said, “Recent monsoon rains have caused the Yalu River to swell, resulting in flood damage in Hyesan. Many residents have been forced out of their homes as water has entered their houses.”
According to the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, the flood damage was most severe in outlying areas of Hyesan, such as the Masan, Chun, Songbong, and Kangan districts.
“Outside the central area of Hyesan, most houses have walls that look like they could collapse at any moment and many don’t even have proper roof tiles. People living in these poorly constructed houses were particularly hard hit this time.”
In the city’s Yonpung District, 60 households were flooded on July 27, causing local residents to evacuate in the middle of the night. Those with nearby relatives took shelter with them, but others spent the entire night outdoors without tents.
In Komsan District, a landslide damaged over 10 homes. People living in shabby, warehouse-like houses barely escaped with their lives.
“Some people had been living in tents on the mountainside since June to manage their fields. When these tents collapsed due to the heavy rains, there was a fatality,” the source said.
Most of the people living in tents on the mountain were over 60 years old, and the victim who died was also in his 60s. The source said that this elderly man, who had been suffering from malnutrition, was unable to quickly escape the dangerous situation and ultimately lost his life.
Focus on rescue of Kim family portraits draws ire from locals
After the incident, the Yanggang Province Party Committee began assessing the exact scale of the damage. Meanwhile, the provincial party committee prioritized checking whether portraits of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il had been saved, drawing criticism from local people.
“People couldn’t hide their bewilderment at the priority given to checking the portraits. They were saying things like, ‘This country prioritizes portraits over the safety and lives of its people,’ and ‘The reality for people in this country is that they must save the portraits even at the cost of their lives.'”
People living in the areas affected by the flooding are currently living in temporary shelters set up in nearby schools, the source further reported.
The source said that the provincial party convened an emergency meeting with Hyesan City’s party committee, people’s committee, and managers of provincial and city-level enterprises to assign specific tasks for providing food and supplies to the affected residents.
On July 28, one enterprise in Hyesan was instructed to provide one kilogram of rice, clothing, and bedding per worker, and households with means were encouraged to voluntarily support those affected by the floods.
“Even if they receive temporary supplies of rice or goods, the task of repairing flooded or collapsed homes falls on those affected by the flooding,” the source said. “People who were already struggling with daily hardships are even more frustrated as their suffering has been intensified by these monsoon rains.”
Daily NK works with a network of sources living in North Korea, China, and elsewhere. Their identities remain anonymous for security reasons.
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