Chinese doctors told to prepare for thousands of casualties from North Korean train disaster

CBC News ^ | 22 Apr 2004

[yonif]

BEIJING - North Korea is still not admitting what the rest of the world believes - that two fuel trains collided Thursday near its border with China - and as a result, thousands have been killed or injured.

The reclusive Stalinist state even went to far as to cut telephone lines to the area in the hope of keeping the disaster secret.

Pyongyang has now asked for China's help in dealing with the massive loss of life. South Korea says it is marshaling its resources to help, if the North Koreans will allow it.

The South Korean Defence Ministry says the accident happened near the city of Ryongchon in the early afternoon. "We've obtained the information that there was a large explosion near Ryongchon Station. We have yet to find out the cause of the incident, the kind of explosion and how many died," said the Yonhap News Agency, quoting an unnamed ministry official.

The Red Cross says it will hold an emergency meeting in Pyongyang on Friday to find out exactly what happened, and how it can help.

Information has been sketchy at best, but it appears that two trains - one carrying oil, the other carrying liquefied petroleum gas - collided causing a massive explosion that sent debris flying, and a column of smoke almost as far as the Chinese border, 20 kilometres away.

A train loaded with Chinese passengers was reported to be in the station at the time of the explosion. Reports say as many as 3,000 people may have been killed or injured in the disaster. Doctors in Dandong, China, the Chinese city closest to the disaster site, have been told to prepare for thousands of casualties.

North Korea has declared a state of emergency, but its official news agency makes no mention of it, nor does the government website.

"The North Korean authorities have so far not yet confirmed the news that two trains collided near a North Korean border city," China's official Xinhua news agency reported.

[Agnes Heep]

Are we absolutely sure this was a train wreck?

[gcruse]

It's a mass breakout...shoot low, they're short from malnourishment.

[11th_VA]

Can't wait til they get the chance to handle nuclear weapons. How do you say 'broken arrow' in Korean ? ...

[martin_fierro]

North Korea: Like a big, weird, dark religious cult.

[yonif]

There a genocide going on there. The world must stop the murder.

[zarf]

It's the evil JOOOOOO"S!!

[oldleft]

Keep your gieger counter on...the winds blow west to east.

[Threepwood]

Good Christ. This is sounding more and more horrible by the moment.

[ClearCase_guy]

Bush should apologize.

[Freedom4US]

How about moslem extremists? China has some afaik.

[traumer]

What the heck is going on ?
What about S. Korean media ?
Nothing, nada ...?

[traumer]

If the sick reach China.... are there radiation victims ?

[varina davis]

Is anyone sure this actually involved trains?

[trek]

Why is everybody missing the obvious here? The pot bellied pig had just come through this town in his train on the way back from Beijing. This looks to me like a failed hit on Kim Jong Il.

[Esther Ruth]

This is a very strange thing going on, it doesn't make sense, how do 3000 people die in a train wreck, and that the place has completely shut out the world for any help with victims, 3000 people on trains and at a station? Just the fact that communication has been cut is SO very evil, that they would not do everything they could to bring in help and assistance, that stands alone as proof of how very wrong things are there. The whole day is going by and nothing is being said on the radio about this either! Strange strange strange!!!

[NJJ]

What's wrong with this picture? You couldn't kill and injure that many people with a train wreck. It sounds like they had one h*** of an accident in a sparce location and tried to figure out an innocent way to explain it.

[kanawa]

Chosun.com Up to 3,000 people were killed or injured when two trains loaded with fuel collided and exploded at a North Korean station near the Chinese border, Chinese sources said. North Korean officials have not, so far, confirmed the report. The collision occurred in Ryongchon, about 20 kilometers south of the border with China, and North Korea declared a state of emergency in the area after Thursday's incident, sources said.

Sources also said that the incident occurred nine hours after North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il passed through the area following talks with Chinese officials in Beijing.

The trains were reportedly carrying petroleum and natural gas when they collided.

In Washington, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher told reporters Thursday the U.S. government does not know enough about the situation to determine whether, or what kind of, U.S. assistance might be warranted.

[LikeLight]

Yeah, this is all very unsettling. Would love to know what our spy satellites have shown us about this.

[aft_lizard]

I have the same question, I understand part of there nuclear program is near there.