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Torrential rainfall left some 100 North Koreans dead and more than 9,000 suffering significant damages. Downpours also inundated farmlands, which is expected to further aggravate food shortages.
”°Six hours of heavy rains dropped 280-320 mm on Sunday, destroying 11,524 houses and leaving more than 9,000 victims in three counties of South Pyongan Province”°, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said Wednesday. There were around 100 individuals found dead or reported missing as of Monday but considering that damage assessments are not usually carried out in a timely manner in North Korea, the final figures are expected to be much higher.
North Korea's state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on the day ”°Some parts of the nation saw unusually heavy rains over the last several days”± and ”°The water level of the major rivers rose and irrigation canals overflowed, inundating a considerable amount of farmland.”± Considering that the North regime rarely allows its news agency to publicly report any damage that has occurred within the nation, the North suffered damages that far exceeded expectations, experts say. Korean Central Television Station, the North's only nationwide TV network, reported on Sunday that ”°The Taedong River in Pyongyang overflowed for the first time since 1990,”± but made no comment on the exact damages. The IFRC has announced its plan to help the North by creating an emergency aid fund.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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