UPDATE 
Deadly North Korea gas explosion reported near China border



An explosion at the North Korean border city of Hyesan has resulted in deaths and injuries, according to South Korean press reports. File Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo
Aug. 5 (UPI) -- A gas explosion in a North Korean city across the China border may have injured dozens of people and killed several others, according to multiple South Korean news services.

The explosion occurred about 6:10 p.m. Monday in the city of Hyesan, South Korean news service Daily NK reported Wednesday.

The cause of the accident was likely a gas explosion that took place in a multi-family residential building in the Tapsong district of Hyesan. Homes built side by side, referred to as "harmonica housing," were destroyed in a chain reaction of explosions, a North Korea-based source told Daily NK on Tuesday.

"All possessions stored within the homes are gone," the source said.

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Other reports suggest the explosion was caused by a gas leak in one of the homes. South Korean news service Seoul Pyongyang News reported Wednesday more than 10 people were killed and 30 others were seriously injured, quoting a source familiar with the city. Daily NK reported 15 deaths by Wednesday.

North Korean authorities did not take action in response to the mishap, and no fire trucks were dispatched to the site, according to Daily NK. Residents instead took matter into their own hands but took more than an hour to put out the fire, the report says.

Authorities blamed residents for "carelessness." They also inquired whether locals were able to save portraits of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il that typically hang inside North Korean homes. North Koreans have been banned from taking pictures of the incident on their camera phones, according to Daily NK.

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South Korea has said it is aware of the situation.

Seoul unification ministry spokesman Yoh Sang-key said Wednesday at a regular press briefing the accident may be related to a gasoline or liquefied petroleum gas explosion, and that the government is investigating the incident, Newsis reported.

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Report: Red Cross in North Korea activates disaster response


Flooding is expected in North Korea, including in the capital Pyongyang, according to state media on Wednesday. File Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo

Aug. 5 (UPI) -- The International Red Cross is working with North Korean authorities on disaster response as heavy rains continue to pose flooding risks in the country.

Red Cross spokesman Antony Balmain said this week the North Korean Red Cross has activated an emergency response team to "work alongside authorities and local communities in nine provinces," Radio Free Asia reported.

The statement from Balmain comes as North Korean state media warned the Taedong River in the capital of Pyongyang is expected to exceed warning levels.

Balmain also said the response teams are preparing essential goods, including water containers, purification tablets, blankets and sanitary products, for communities that could be affected in the event of disaster.

On Wednesday, Korean Workers' Party paper Rodong Sinmun said the rains are expected to grow heavier due to the impact of Typhoon No. 4.

Storm warnings have been issued for different areas situated near major waterways, and about 6 to 12 inches of rain is expected in the Taedong River basin. Warning levels for the Taedong River are to be surpassed around Thursday evening, the North Korean newspaper said.

The overflow of the Taedong River could damage farms and homes in Pyongyang. The flooding of the river in 2007 paralyzed transportation networks and communication lines, according to South Korean news service Newsis.

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As part of an emergency response, the Red Cross and North Korea are placing priority on providing evacuation routes and shelters for people who may be displaced during floods.

In 2018, floods in North Korea destroyed hundreds of buildings and more than 10,000 people lost their homes.

South Korea's unification ministry called for inter-Korea cooperation on Wednesday and for the exchange of information, but Pyongyang has yet to respond, according to reports.