Registered: Apr 2001
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Report: Trains Explode in North Korea


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Apr 22, 10:33 AM (ET)


SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - As many as 3,000 people were killed or injured Thursday when two trains carrying oil and liquefied petroleum gas collided and exploded in a North Korean train station, South Korean media reported.

The North Korean leader, Kim Jong Il, reportedly had passed through the station as he returned from China hours earlier, South Korea's all-news cable channel, YTN, reported.

The number killed or injured could reach 3,000, YTN said.

"The area around Ryongchon station has turned into ruins as if it were bombarded," South Korea's Yonhap news agency quoted witnesses as saying. "Debris from the explosion soared high into the sky and drifted to Sinuju," a North Korean town on the border with China, the agency said.

Yonhap, quoting witnesses in the Chinese city of Dandong on the border with the North, said the explosion occurred about 1 p.m. at Ryongchon. It said Kim passed through nine hours earlier, returning to Pyongyang. Ryongchon is about 12 miles from the Chinese border.

Yang Jong-hwa, a spokeswoman of South Korea's Unification Ministry, said her organization could not immediately confirm the reports. The ministry is in charge of relations with North Korea.

The Defense Ministry likewise was not commenting.

"We are aware of the news reports, but we will not make any comments at this stage," said a spokesman, speaking on customary condition of anonymity.

YTN reported that the causalities included Chinese living in the North Korean border region, and that Chinese in Dandong were desperate to learn about their relatives.

Some of the injured were evacuated to hospitals in Dandong, it said.

Chinese and North Korean traders frequently cross the border.

North Korea's state-run news agency on Thursday confirmed that Kim had made a secretive trip to China on Monday through Wednesday, but carried no comments on the reported explosion.

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20040422/D823TFLG0.html

I guess assassination attempt is in question here? Its hard to tell by the tone so far. or maybe a scare tactic for kim. If it was it was rather fucking messy...certainly unacceptably so....and certainly the timing was poor. I guess the situation with him is pretty desperate just going by what is released, if this was some sort of attempt or warning Id imagine the situation is more much grave than we imagined. Or, this could have all been a horrible accident and nothing sinister at all.

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Registered: Aug 2001
Location: is futile
Posts: 5029

Oh no

3000 people?

urg

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location: A New England
Posts: 9187

He passed through 9 hours before.

It would have been the worst assassination attempt I've ever heard of.

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Registered: Apr 2001
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ok, i think it was just a shit accident. Ignore what I posted up there.

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location: A New England
Posts: 9187

Stop licking the frogs in your garden.

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Registered: Apr 2001
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quote:

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Originally posted by Goatboy
He passed through 9 hours before.

It would have been the worst assassination attempt I've ever heard of.

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Registered: Mar 2004
Location: USA
Posts: 25010

::Makes note to self:: If ever in North Korea, take the bus.

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Registered: Sep 2000
Location: Kansas City
Posts: 7504

You're all wrong.

Clearly this was the final scene of a Jerry Bruckenheimer movie.

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Registered: Sep 2000
Location: Kansas City
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quote:

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Originally posted by Trenchant_Troll
::Makes note to self:: If ever in North Korea, take the bus.

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Last edited by CHiPsJr on 04-22-2004 at 06:51 PM

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Registered: May 2001
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Posts: 2701

The fuel was a gift from China after his visit.
Maybe China is sick of North Korea leeching off it.

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Registered: Sep 2000
Location: The Bottom of the Toyem Pole
Posts: 9462

If it wasn't so tragically serious, I would have laughed at the news that all phone lines have been cut to the outside world following South Korea's report that an unnamed North Korean gave them information about what happened. The crazy lady in pink that does North Korea's news didn't mention anything, unsurprisingly.

As for assassination, I don't think it was an attempt, but it would have been a nice accident had it taken him out. And not killed those other people, I mean.

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