Pyongyang building collapse causes 'serious' casualties

An official bows to make an apology at a construction site in Pyongyang, DPRK, May 17,2014.[Photo/icpress.cn]

PYONGYANG - An apartment in Pyongyang, capital city of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), collapsed on Tuesday during construction, causing serious casualties, the official news agency KCNA said Sunday.

The accident, in the Phyongchon District, occurred "as the construction of an apartment house was not done properly and officials supervised and controlled it in an irresponsible manner, " said the KCNA, without giving the number of casualties or other details.

"Right after the accident, the state emergency mechanism was put into action to conduct an intensive campaign to rescue survivors, treat the wounded and arrange the scene of the accident," it said.

The rescue operation came to an end on Saturday. Officials met bereaved families and citizens in the district to express deep consolation and apologies, said the report.

Kim Su-gil, chief secretary of the Pyongyang City Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea said that, "Marshal Kim Jong-un sat up all night, feeling painful after being told about the accident," adding that the party and the state are taking effective emergency measures to bring the living of the families of victims to normal and provide them with new houses.

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