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Witness: N. Korean disaster was preventable
http://english.kbs.co.kr/news/newsview_sub.php?menu=8&key=1004042901 Wednesday, April 28, 2004 22:02:29 Updated.
Anchor: Some people have testified that the disaster at Ryongcheon Railway Station in North Korea could have been prevented. A span of 40 minutes, during which the cargo trains were engulfed in flames, was the decisive moment that has determined the fate of many Ryongcheon residents. Correspondent Jang Han-sik reports from Dandong.
Reporter:
At 11:30 a.m. on April 22, a high-tension wire exploded, spewing sparks which turned into powerful flames that consumed the cargo trains. Station officials immediately rushed out to bring the fire under control to no avail.
Witness of the explosion at Ryongcheon Station:
When the high-tension wire was cut off, there was no train to haul the cars because they were electricity-driven engines. They could have hauled the trains, if they were driven by coal or oil.
Reporter:
About 20 minutes later, four dilapidated fire engines arrived, only to find that the task was beyond their capacity.
Witness of the explosion at Ryongcheon Station:
Fire engines arrived and tried to bring the fire under control for about 20 minutes. But it was no use.
Reporter:
The area in and around the station was crowded with people who had come to watch the fire during lunchtime, rather than taking shelter. At around 12:10 p.m., when signs of explosion became evident, station officials shouted, "Take shelter immediately!" But it was too late.
Witness of the explosion at Ryongcheon Station:
We thought it was just a common fire, and couldn't have possibly imagined the magnitude of the explosion.
Reporter:
A span of 40 minutes has determined the fate of many Ryongcheon residents. It was long enough to have the students from a nearby elementary school, which suffered the greatest damage, to take shelter.
It is heartbreaking to think that if people had responded to the accident with more composure, they could have prevented the massive explosion. Or at least, the damages could have been minimized.
Jang Han-sik, KBS News, Dandong.