At least 610 people were killed or missing in devastating floods that pounded North Korea earlier this month, twice the number previously announced by the communist country, a U.N. agency said Sunday.
The report by the United Nations' humanitarian coordination office (OCHA) confirmed an announcement by North Korea a day earlier that at least 600 people were killed in the downpours, the worst in decades.
The U.N. report, a compilation of figures from Nort Korea and international relief groups, said the rain-caused floods also left 4,351 people injured and 169,561 others homeless.
According to the report, 40,463 houses were completely destroyed, 67,056 were partially damaged and 3,732 were submerged. The floods also destroyed 20 percent of rice paddies and 15 percent of corn paddies, which would cause 1 million tons in lost production.
The North Korean government emphasized the need for international aid of medicine and health care, raising the possibility of the spread of infectious diseases, the report said.
Citing figures from the Central Statistics Bureau, North Korea's state media said on Saturday that the floods caused huge damage to all sectors of its economy, leaving at least 600 people dead or missing, which is about the double of earlier figures.