North Korea says 6 died in mining accident in January
SEOUL, Korea, Republic Of — Six miners died when the roof of a mine in North Korea collapsed in January, the North’s state media reported Monday, in a rare admission of a deadly accident in the secretive country.
Seven miners were initially trapped after the collapse at the Unryul mine, a leading iron ore producer, on Jan. 9, North Korea’s main newspaper Rodong Sinmun reported. It said one was rescued 10 days later but six others were found dead.
The newspaper said the accident was the worst disaster at the mine in South Hwanghae province since it was established.
North Korea’s highly controlled state media rarely report news that might be considered negative, and an admission of fault by the government is unusual. Many North Korea watchers were surprised when the country’s state media reported in 2014 that government officials had offered an apology for the collapse of an apartment under construction in Pyongyang, the capital.