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DANDONG/BEIJING -- The International Federation of Red Cross announced Sunday that the loss of life from the North Korean railway explosion in Ryongchon totals 161 dead, 5 missing, and at least 1,300 injured as of Saturday. The news grew more heartbreaking as it was revealed that 76 victims, about half the total dead, were students from a nearby elementary school that was incinerated.
Ryongchon County Disaster Relief Committee head Jang Song-geun said, ¡°The roof of Ryongchon Elementary School, which is located about 200 meters away from the blast site, was destroyed, and there was much loss among the students who were preparing to leave school.¡± Losses were high among soldiers working nearby at the time of the blast, he said.
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People sift through the wreckage looking for survivors in the ruined streets of Ryongchon after the explosion, Saturday.
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John Sparrow, the East Asia information delegate for the International Federation of Red Cross in Beijing said, ¡°The number of victims might increase, considering the extent of destruction of the buildings.¡± Well-informed people in Dandong, China also predict that the dead alone will surpass 2,000 since there are many in critical condition with burns and other injuries.
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Railroad is bent like melted candy and debris are scattered all over the Ryongchon Station area, Saturday.
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An international fact-finding team, leaded by UN organizations, said in its initial report following an investigation into the explosion areas that ¡°1,850 households -- about 40 percent of the houses located in the downtown area -- were destroyed and around 8,000 people were affected.¡± The report emphasized, ¡°Facilities to accept the homeless are needed and hospitals, schools and public facilities should be repaired right away.¡± Jang said, ¡°We expect the international community will give all the actual support that the victims require,¡± and officially requested assistance from the international community Saturday.
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Foreigners from international organizations in Ryongchon on Saturday to give humanitarian aid look down into the big crater created by the explosion near Ryongchon Station./AFP
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North Korea deployed rescue and medical personnel from nearby areas to the spot and the injured were divided between four hospitals (including Pyongbuk Hospital and Sanwon Hospital), each hospital with 200 to 400 spaces for patients. Meanwhile, 370 patients were sent to nearby Sinuiju Hospital for medical treatment. North Korea also mobilized the army and has started reconstruction efforts.
According to announcements from North Korean authorities on Saturday, the accident was caused when two train carriages carrying oil and ammonium nitrate fertilizer collided, knocking down a power pole that ignited their inflammable cargos.
Aid for victims and support for restoration work from the international community is lining up. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) decided to provide US$ 50,000 each. The World Health Organization (WHO) will provide US$ 25,000 in relief aid, and the European Union (EU) decided to provide 200,000 euro to the North. Germany, Ireland and other Europe countries and international relief organizations are stating their intentions to provide support. The U.S. and Japan are also considering aid. China decided Saturday to provide the North 10 million yuan (about W1.5 billion) in grants, and began the emergency transport of materials through Sinuiju on Saturday.
(Lee Gwang-hoe, santafe@chosun.com )
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