5,000 people rescued from flooding in North Korea in evacuation efforts led by Kim, report says
North Korea says more than 5,000 people were rescued from weekend flooding in airlifts and other evacuation efforts supervised by leader Kim Jong Un
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — More than 5,000 people isolated by flooding in northwest North Korea were rescued in airlifts and other evacuation work supervised by leader Kim Jong Un, state media reported Monday.
Heavy rainfall on Saturday had caused a river on the North Korean-Chinese border to exceed a dangerous level and created “a grave crisis," the official Korean Central News Agency said.
About 10 military helicopters and navy and government boats were mobilized for the evacuation efforts in Sinuiju city and Uiju town where flooding had isolated residents.
KCNA did not mention any deaths or how much damage the flooding caused. It said each of the about 10 helicopters made several fights to move the residents despite bad weather, ultimately rescuing 4,200 of the affected people by airlift.
