North Korea vows ‘severe’ punishments in wake of typhoon

September 05, 2020

The North Korean government has vowed to punish officials who failed to protect residents from Typhoon Maysak that wreaked havoc in parts of the country, according to Rodong Sinmun, a state-run newspaper.

The typhoon brought heavy downpours across North Korea earlier this week, with official footage showing streets inundated in the eastern town of Wonsan in Kangwon province.

Read more: Typhoon Maysak: NZ livestock ship and crew missing in storm off Japan coast

Rodong Sinmun reported Saturday that the country’s top officials would take an action against “irresponsible” city and provincial officials for causing “a serious incident involving dozens of casualties.”

“Dozens of casualties have occurred … because of red tape and tricks among the city and provincial officials who did not accept the party’s guidelines,” the newspaper said.

The officials failed to “immediately organize a project to thoroughly identify properties at risk and evacuate all residents” despite being ordered by the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea headed by leader Kim Jong Un, it added.

“A decision was made to impose severe party, administrative, and legal punishment to those responsible for the casualties.”

But Ahn Chan-il, a defector turned researcher based in Seoul, told AFP news agency that punishing local officials is a “way for the North Korean leadership to avoid blame” for the casualties.

Read more: Japan cleans up after deadly typhoon Hagibis

“They are sending out a message that Kim Jong Un never does anything wrong, but damages occur only because those who work for him fail to follow his order.”

Another typhoon to strike peninsula

On Wednesday, state television showed live footage of storm surge and torrential rains in Wonsan, with a damaged bridge and flooded streets and buildings.

There have been reports of destroyed farms in the central county of Unpa, the country’s breadbasket.

Concerns are growing about further crop damage and food supplies as the isolated country braces for another, potentially more powerful typhoon, Haishen, which is on track to hit the peninsula’s east coast on Monday.

Typhoon Maysak killed at least two people in South Korea, with more than 2,200 people evacuated to temporary shelters in the southern city of Busan.

Read more: Typhoon Chaba leaves trail of destruction in South Korea

Japan: Typhoon Hagibis leaves a trail of destruction

Elderly woman falls to her death

Japan bolstered search and rescue operations on Monday, as the storm weakened to an extratropical cyclone over the Pacific Ocean. On Sunday, a 77-year-old woman died after she was accidentally dropped 40 meters (131 feet) from a rescue helicopter. The Tokyo Fire Department confirmed that the pensioner had not been strapped in properly while being airlifted in Iwaki city, Fukushima.

Japan: Typhoon Hagibis leaves a trail of destruction

Carried to safety

Thousands of troops and rescue workers have been deployed to save stranded residents and fight floods caused by one of the worst typhoons to hit the country in 60 years. Here, an elderly lady is seen on the back of a rescuer in Motomiya, in northern Japan.

Japan: Typhoon Hagibis leaves a trail of destruction

Nagano under water

Homes in Nagano, central Japan, were left submerged Sunday after the Chikuma River overflowed as a result of Typhoon Hagibis. Seventeen people remained unaccounted for across the country, according to the Kyodo News agency, after the storm unleashed record rainfall, triggering flooding and landslides.

Japan: Typhoon Hagibis leaves a trail of destruction

Widespread damage

The banks of 21 rivers across the country collapsed and nearly 150 overflowed, flooding nearby areas and causing major damage, including to this bridge over the Chikuma River in Tomi, Nagano. Dozens of landslides cut off road links, leaving people stranded.

Japan: Typhoon Hagibis leaves a trail of destruction

Transportation shut down

The typhoon brought the country to a standstill. Flooded railway tracks and canceled trains caused commuter chaos, and more than 100 flights were scrapped, leaving thousands of passengers stranded.

Japan: Typhoon Hagibis leaves a trail of destruction

Moment of silence

The typhoon disrupted a three-day weekend in Japan that includes Sports Day on Monday. Three Rugby World Cup matches were canceled over the weekend, and qualifying at the Japanese Grand Prix at the Suzuka circuit was postponed. On Sunday, fans closed their eyes during the moment of silence for the typhoon victims before the rugby match between Japan and Scotland in Yokohama.

Japan: Typhoon Hagibis leaves a trail of destruction

Eye of the storm

Hagibis hurtled toward Japan with wind speeds reaching 216 kilometers per hour (134 miles per hour), according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. Authorities had warned Hagibis was on a par with a typhoon that wreaked havoc in the Tokyo region in 1958, but modern safety infrastructure helped save lives. The typhoon six decades ago left over 1,200 people dead and half a million houses flooded.

Author: John Silk