Nearly 400 people have reportedly died from
torrential rain that swept up residents in Rason, North Hamgyong Province. This
is ten times the figure officially announced by North Korea, which is believed
to have distorted numbers in fear that the international community would
criticize the Kim Jong Un leadership for its lack of readiness against natural
disasters, Daily NK sources reported.
“Damage from the downpours was contained to
Rason in the Sonbong area and not elsewhere,” a source privy to North Korean
affairs in China told Daily NK. “It was only in the Sonbong area where it
rained a lot. Although the state reported 40 were killed, after looking into
the matter those figures are over 400.”
An additional source in China with ties to
North Korea confirmed this news.
Images featured in the Party-run Rodong Sinmun showed
buildings being reconstructed, but on the larger scale, the damage was immense
with entire villages being swept away, leading to a massive loss of lives,
according to the source.
 Photos taken by Daily NK’s sources on August 28 revealed the devastating aftermath of the flood that ravaged Rason. Image: Daily NK |
“The sudden rise in water levels swept up
not only residents in the area but taxi drivers, traders, and even truck
drivers from China. Those bodies have not even been recovered yet,” he
asserted.
“Saying that 40 lives were lost is sheer
nonsense.”
Soldiers mobilized from surrounding areas
are currently working on rebuilding the hard hit city, which has been sealed
off from the public. Roughly 45,000 soldiers are on site, reflecting the
magnitude of devastation in Rason.
“The soldiers that have been mobilized are
storm troops that specialize in building roads, bridges, and fixing houses,”
the source said. “They have cut off the entrance to Sonbong to block cars
coming from Wonjong Customs House, and people cannot enter at all. All vehicles
that go through customs have to make a detour toward the Tumen River,” the source explained.
He went on to speculate that Pyongyang
downplayed the numbers in an effort to deflect any criticism from the global
community. While it is more common to see dozens of lives lost in a natural disaster,
much higher numbers would be a sure sign of North Korea’s lack of readiness. The leadership, the source surmised, likely did not want to take any chances in
acknowledging this reality.
*The content of this article was broadcast to the North Korean people via Unification Media Group.
