A number of people working on or residing
near a train track construction site in Samjiyon of Yanggang Province have died
recently due to accidents. This follows the death of roughly ten stormtroopers
in November after the construction site soil collapsed on them, Daily NK has
learned.
“Earlier on the 9th, an explosion set off
at the construction site between 10 and 11 a.m. in Potae of Pochon County
damaged a number of surrounding homes, and one resident who was in the house
died as a result,” a source from Yanggang Province told Daily NK on Saturday.
“They’ve been pushing forward with this construction without thinking about the
damage it could cause for the nearby villages, so the residents in that area
are the ones who are suffering.”
This news was corroborated by an additional source in Yanggang Province.
“The state looks after the Samjiyon area
because there are a lot of revolutionary historic sites, but the ordinary homes
there are in very poor condition,” the source said. “The cadre in charge of this
construction project didn’t even think about the fact that many homes in the
area would collapse because of the blast and is forcing things along in the
middle of winter to tuck another ‘achievement’ under his belt.”
Despite the accident on the 9th, the state
has only blamed the victim for not evacuating as directed–a response that that
has riled up locals, who want to see some degree of mea culpa from the
officials and compensation for the loss of an innocent life.
“A lot of accidents, both small and large
scale, have been happening since the Samjiyon train track construction began.
But neither those in charge of the storm troopers nor even provincial officials
are taking responsibility, about which residents are quite critical.” he pointed
out.
Fanning the flames of resentment further
was, just six days after the home collapse, a fatal car accident that occurred
on the 15th when a truck bound for Hyesan from the site in Samjiyon suddenly
flipped over, fanning the flames of resentment further.
“Two storm troopers who were in the truck
were killed; others sustained broken arms and legs and were transported to the
hospital,” he said, adding that Pochon County residents are outraged, asking
how many more lives the project will claim before its completion.
According to the source, who witnessed the
accident firsthand, it was a chaotic scene: logs tumbled out from an overturned
red vehicle [plate number 32-1727; South Hwanghae Province] and some 20
stormtroopers caught in wake of the impact.
“It had snowed a lot, and the trucks these
troopers were in were sliding along the roads almost like they’re on sleds
because it was slippery. But they didn’t even put chains on the tires
eventually leading to the accident,” he explained.
Some residents, he added,
speculate among themselves that the dead troopers will not even be recognized
much for their sacrifice because the Samjiyon project lagged behind the Baekdu
power plant construction in terms of importance.
The Samjiyon project, which aims to replace
narrow tracks with broad-gauge tracks, first kicked off in August 2008.
However, due to the Baekdu Hero’s Youth Power Plant construction that was
pushed forward to create greater legacies for Kim Jong Un, it was suspended
only to recommence in June of last year. The train tracks in Samjiyon are predominately utilized by those visiting the Baekdu area to “experience the spirit of
founder Kim Il Sung’s revolutionary activities.”
