North Korea’s secretive government on Friday called on the Red Cross to help treat the injured at a train explosion, but it has provided no information on the scale of the disaster or the death toll, a spokesperson for the international agency said.
North Korean authorities ”asked the North Korean Red Cross to go up to the accident site and make an assessment. On the basis of that assessment, which will be done very quickly, we will respond,” said John Sparrow, a Red Cross spokesperson in Beijing.
The North Koreans didn’t provide the Red Cross team with any estimates of deaths or injuries, Sparrow said. ”The message they got was: please go there and assess. That was it. We were not getting any figures this morning.”
South Korean media reported that as many as 3 000 people might have been killed or injured. Neighbouring China confirmed that two Chinese were killed and a dozen injured. The disaster occurred when fuel-laden trains collided, the South Korean government said.
The Red Cross team was heading to the accident site from Pyongyang, about 150km to the south, Sparrow said.
Even under normal circumstances, North Korea’s health services ”are under great strain” and are short of basic medical supplies like medicine and bandages, he said.
Sparrow said the Red Cross has a warehouse relief centre less than 20km from the accident site which would be called on to help as well. – Sapa-AP