North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has surveyed flood-hit areas on the country’s border with China in a luxury car, as he accused officials of negligence for allowing heavy rains to plunge the isolated nation into a “grave crisis”.
Around 5,000 people have been rescued, some airlifted in helicopters, after a heavy downpour on Saturday caused flooding in the northwestern part of the country, according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Monday.
Record rainfall near the border “far exceeded the danger line” of the water level of the Amnok river that flows between North Korea and China, isolating thousands of residents in Sinuiju City and Uiju County, it said.
The rescue operation involved 10 helicopters which made 20 flights and boats were mobilised for the evacuation, reports said.
Pictures published by state media showed Mr Kim riding in his luxury Lexus SUV through flood waters and sitting on a chair on what appeared to be concrete tarmac at an army base, as helicopters brought people to safety.
The images also showed the extent of flooding as fields were seen inundated in muddy-brown water and only the rooflines of small homes were visible.
The report did not say how many people were killed in the severe flooding.
Rains and similar other natural disasters spell havoc for the impoverished country. In 2020, typhoons and torrential rains were among the difficulties Mr Kim previously said had created “multiple crises” at home, along with draconian pandemic-related restrictions and UN sanctions over his nuclear weapons programme.
Mr Kim fumed at the authorities “for their negligence of duty that caused a disastrous situation because of the failure to take a flood prevention measure”.
“I’ve already given a repeated warning to the irresponsibility of officials over such serious practices. And the state repeatedly gave a precaution before the rainy season and the National Emergency Response Committee was called on July 22, a few days ago,” Mr Kim was quoted as saying by the agency.
“But alertness has not yet given to the work for preventing natural disaster. Indolence and expediency of officials at major jobs have reached a very serious phase.”
It comes as typhoons and torrential rains across Asia have forced governments, including those in China, the Philippines, India, and Nepal, to work at war-footing, as scientists blamed extreme weather on human-driven climate change.
Typhoon Gaemi led to major flooding in parts of the Philippines as well as Taiwan last week. The typhoon then made landfall in China’s Fujian on Thursday causing further devastation in the country which was already grappling with torrential rains.
Mr Kim held a crisis response meeting last week to discuss strategies to mitigate the impact of rains on agriculture and people.
North has been receiving record-breaking rains with Kaesong City receiving 63mm (18.2inches) of rain in a single day earlier this week. South Korea’s weather agency said it was the highest recorded rain in the North in 29 years.
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