SEOUL: North Korean towns along the border with China were flooded this week after heavy rain, threatening to exacerbate an already critical food and economic situation in the country.
North Korea state broadcasters said the city of Sinuiju had reported its heaviest rainfall of the year on Thursday (Jul 7), with at least 132.5mm of rain by 4pm.
Video footage showed buses and other vehicles driving through water that had filled intersections, while pedestrians waded nearby.
To the east, in North Hamgyong Province, officials were working to ensure water supplies remained sanitary by supervising sewage disposal and ensuring that residents boiled water before drinking, state news agency KCNA reported.
North Korea has reported an epidemic of an unspecified intestinal disease – suspected by South Korean officials to be cholera or typhoid – and has blamed foreign objects from the border with South Korea for sparking a COVID-19 outbreak.