Newly built guard post at the border. The post, after the flood, was built by priority to prevent defection from North Korea. (ASIAPRESS)
2016/Nov/17
There was a huge damage on several cities and rural area along the Tumen River, a border between China and North Korea, by the flood at the end of August. What happened to the damaged area after the flood two months ago? The photos of heavily damaged Musan County in North Hamkyung Province were taken from the Chinese side on October 30.(Kang Ji-won)
A reporting partner living in the region reported that the flood victims who lost their homes in Musan County were allowed to live in the newly built apartments, but they were asked to finish the interior work by themselves.
◆ Priority on surveillance facilities
Musan County with the estimated population of 120,000 has the biggest mine of iron ore in North Korea. The flood in August swept a large part of rice field and so many homes as Musan County sits along Tumen River. “A large number of people including border guards are still missing,” said a reporting partner in the county. The exact number is not yet known. The reporting partners in the region unanimously say that a swift current swept the downstream area as the authority open the dam of Sodusu hydroelectric power plant in the upper reaches of Musan County without any notice.
Related Article: ＜Field Report On N.Korea＞ Delayed Restoration of Flood Due to Cement Shortage
From September, a number of soldiers and people from various workplaces have been mobilized for restoration work and have to work by hands because of lack of heavy equipments. What they have built first was the post of border guard which was swept away by the flood.
Photo shows a newly built two story post at the river bank. Temporary houses made of tents are also seen near the river bank.
Tents on riverbank covered with mud. The reporter says “some of the flood victims still remain in the temporary shelter even two months after the flood.” (ASIAPRESS)
◆ Flood victims move in unfinished housing
It seems that the construction of apartments has not been finished even by the rush work.
On November 10, a reporting partner in Musan County reported: While moving in the apartments constructed by rush work for the flood victims started, they shifted the interior work to the occupants. Those who are unable to afford can’t but live in a hut-like. They must have moved in a house without doors, window frames, glasses, and running water.
“The apartment is five storied and each floor has 10 households. Rich people move in second and third floor by bribing or connection, and others move in first or top floor. And the riches ask the local city construction corp or the mobilized construction crew from the organization enterprises to finish the interior work by offering them a meal. There has not been any support from the Party Committee of Musan County or the Party Committee of North Hamkyung Province although they have been promising.”
People, if possible, try to avoid the first floor with the fear of buglar and the top where it is hard to bring water up on cut-off of water supply.
On the other hand, it is said that the landslide also produced loss of lives beside the flood damage.
“Most of victims who died of landslide were whole families. They died in mud. There was only one survivor. (The authority) ordered to let even one person, the sole survivor, to move in new house.
Apartments for flood victims. The reporter said that the entrance was made at the opposite side from China because they didn’t want the construction work to be seen from China. Moving in began even though the work has not been finished yet.
Related Article: ＜Interview with N.Korean＞ Nuclear Test shattered Windows & People Forced to pay for Flood Damage
Central area of Musan County. Remotely viewed mine of iron ore (ASIAPRESS)
Musan County filmed on July 2012 (ASIAPRESS)
【Related Article】
◆ ＜Inside N.Korea＞Enormous Flood Damage at Tumen River Basin, Outcry over No Relief Efforts by Government
◆ ＜Interview with N.Korean People＞ Defection of Thae Yong-ho, the minister at NK mission in London, is “natural”
◆ Kim Jong-un Orders North Koreans Make Mountains Evergreen. -Declares 10-Year War Against Slash-and-Burn Farming
* Editor’s notes on North Korean reporters
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