Written by: Beck

Another update on the disaster in North Korea: the official DPRK news agency has come forward and admitted that there was an accident and even going so far as to state the cause. Long time DPRK watchers seem surprised by the speed with which the North Korean regime has come forward with facts. It would seem that power arcing from overhead wires (i.e. a major short circuit) caused an explosion in train cars carrying ammonium nitrate and oil. In other words, think of the Oklahoma City bombing, then scale it from a U-Haul up to train car(s) proportions.

CNN is reporting that at least 154 are dead and 1300 are wounded. Furthermore, at least 76 of the dead are said to have been students. And in case you didn't think the situation was bad enough already, an email being sent out by Norbert Vollertsen German doctor/activist who evidently worked in the DPRK makes it sound even worse (link credit to North Korea Zone blog:

"-Out of my own experience in the disaster area I know that the nearby hospitals in Sinuiju and Ryongchon are in a desperate situation : there is no medicine, no bandage material, sometimes even no soap and running water

- The North Korean doctors cannot give any sophisticated medical assistance for burnt victims - so what they are usually doing, sometimes even without disinfection, narcotics and with a simply razor-blade is donating their own skin like I did when I got my friendship medal [Emphasis mine].

Update: Some new statistics: the blast damaged structures as far away as 2.5 miles; between 1800 and 2000 homes were destroyed. And how can you not like pictures of railroad tracks which have buckled like paper-clips?