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Journalism of Courage
North Korea said today that last week’s massive train explosion caused about US $ 356 million in damage, an announcement that could be part of an effort to garner as much aid as possible for the impoverished nation.
Though international aid efforts are still gearing up, the value of relief goods pledged so far by the international community falls far short of the North Korean estimate. South Korea has pledged US $ 1 million of aid, and the US says it will give the Red Cross US $ 100,000 to help the homeless in North Korea. Germany said today it would send US $ 119,000 to finance food deliveries and building material.
China has already dispatched aid, and Japan, Russia, Australia and the US have also offered to send supplies. It was unclear exactly how North Korea arrived at the estimate, though it said more than 30 public buildings and houses for at least 8,100 families were destroyed. The blast was equivalent to ‘‘about 100 bombs each weighing a ton’’ going off at the same time, said the North’s official news agency. The explosion at the railway station in Ryongchon on Thursday left 161 people dead and injured 1,300 others. —(PTI)
