Kim drives on a submerged road to see the flood situation

Last Updated on July 30, 2024 8:41 am

Severe flooding has occurred in northwestern North Korea near the Chinese border. Military helicopters have been deployed to evacuate residents.

The news agency Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that President Kim Jong Un has come to the ground to monitor the rescue operation.

Released photos show Kim Jong Un monitoring the situation with officials on the grounds of an airport. Then he went out on the road to see the flood situation by car.

According to the newspaper Rodong Xinmun, farmland and houses were submerged due to heavy rains in the Chinese border city of Xinhuizhou and Wuzhou County. However, the report did not mention any casualty figures.

It said, “More than 10 planes made 20 consecutive round-trip flights to evacuate more than 4,200 residents of North Korea.”

Some photos from the Rodong Sinmun newspaper showed Kim driving his black Lexus through the floodwaters to monitor the situation.

KCN also showed Kim in high winds at an airport with officials and monitoring the extent of flooding from the back window of a black car. 10 helicopters and navy and government boats were also used in the operation.

Kim Jong Un said, ‘Officials feel helpless and hopeless in the face of natural disasters. Instead of taking proactive measures, they are relying on luck or external help to deal with disasters.”

North Korea saw record rainfall. Earlier this month, Kaesong city received 463 mm (18.2 inches) of rain in one day. The South Korean Meteorological Administration said it was the heaviest rainfall in North Korea in 29 years. Floods in North Korea often cause serious damage. Because there is poor drainage and dilapidated infrastructure.

Typhoons and heavy rains in 2020 caused ‘multiple crises’ in the country, according to Kim.

Such natural disasters could exacerbate existing problems in North Korea, such as food shortages and poor infrastructure.

Source: BBC

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