SEOUL :
THE recent heavy rains in
north-western North Korea
flooded thousands of houses
and a vast extent of farmland
and left many residents homeless and living in makeshift
tents, North Korea’s State media
reported on Wednesday.
North Korea earlier said more
than 5,000 people stranded in
Sinuiju city and Uiju town were
rescued by airlift and other
evacuation work after
Saturday’s rains caused a river
on the Chinese border to swell.
But it hadn’t mentioned any
specific damage, or said if there
were any casualties.
North Korea is prone to
flooding from heavy summer
rains because of poor drainage,
deforestation and dilapidatedinfrastructure.
The Korean Central NewsAgency said onWednesday that
about 4,100 houses, 3,000hectares (about 7,410 acres) of
agricultural fields and numerous public buildings, roads andrailways in Sinuiju and Uijuwere flooded. About 150 people in nearby Jagang provincehad also been isolated due toa separate river flooding there,
but they were all evacuated tosafety by military helicopters.
KCNA didn’t say whether anyone died or was injured in thoseflood-ravaged areas. Kim JongUn in Sinuiju, officials decided to build 4,400 new housesand strengthen embankmentsin Sinuiju and Uiju and restoredamaged facilities.