Tragedy In North Korea

[MagicNakor]

The trains were supposed to be carrying fuel.

The line that the trains were on is the main one for the country, so it is likely that the victims were people in the station, waiting for their own train, not passengers upon the fuel tankers.

[j2k4]

Originally posted by MagicNakor@22 April 2004 - 19:11

The trains were supposed to be carrying fuel.

The line that the trains were on is the main one for the country, so it is likely that the victims were people in the station, waiting for their own train, not passengers upon the fuel tankers.

Thanks for that tidbit, MN.

I fear we'll be fitting pieces together for a while, eh?

I think there is an object lesson here.

Many of our younger members have never seen a press blackout in action; hope they're paying attention.

[MagicNakor]

Press blackouts are scary things. There's nothing like knowing *something* is going on, but having no idea *what* that something is.

Of course, it's entirely likely that we'll never know what really happened until a few decades from now. Reports from secretive countries tend to leak out very slowly. After all, new information from the USSR is still surfacing. On the other hand, things like the internet make such leaks much easier, but that's relying on someone from inside North Korea being able to post such information to the outside world, without having it being removed immediately.

[j2k4]

Originally posted by MagicNakor@22 April 2004 - 23:51
Press blackouts are scary things. There's nothing like knowing *something* is going on, but having no idea *what* that something is.

Of course, it's entirely likely that we'll never know what really happened until a few decades from now. Reports from secretive countries tend to leak out very slowly. After all, new information from the USSR is still surfacing. On the other hand, things like the internet make such leaks much easier, but that's relying on someone from inside North Korea being able to post such information to the outside world, without having it being removed immediately.

"Scary" is surely the proper way to put it.

I find myself also thinking of the Soviets, specifically Chernybol.

I remember being consumed by the thought that they'd slam the lid on that.

[MagicNakor]

I don't know if you've seen this, but it really is harrowing. Elena is a brave girl.

http://www.angelfire.com/extreme4/kiddofspeed/

[ilw]

I think quite a lot of the deaths are gonna be from farther afield than the station

The explosion partially destroyed 6,350 houses, John Sparrow, a spokesman for the International Red Cross in Beijing told the BBC.

[dwightfry]

The estimated death toll has dropped significantly. Right now it is at 150 dead, roughly 1294 injured. And the trains had explosives on them, not oil.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...sion_death_toll

[SeK612]

The reports are still sketchy though. North Korea is keeping very quiet and the reports are supposedly coming from aid workers. South Korea and China have offered help but North Korea haven't accept or declined it yet. North Korea is still not reporting on this and it seems this is common (no foreign radio or TV channels and restricted email). They may also have closed their borders and the restriction of foreigners id still very severe.