23-floor apartment in Pyongyang collapses, death toll unconfirmed

By Kim Tong-hyung

North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) has reported a ``serious’’ accident at a construction site in Pyongyang, but did not reveal the number of deaths and injuries.

However, sources from the South Korea’s Ministry of Unification told reporters Sunday morning that a 23-floor apartment building in the Phyongchon district of the North Korean capital has collapsed. The number of deaths is likely to be high, they said, as while the building was not completely finished, people had already been living in 92 housing units that were finished first.

The KCNA said the ``construction of an apartment house was not done properly and officials supervised and controlled it in an irresponsible manner’’ and that the rescue operation ended Saturday. It also reported that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ``sat up all night, feeling painful after being told about the accident.’’