A series of explosions rocked a North Korean city near the border with China this week, according to multiple reports, resulting in possible casualties.
Neither North Korean officials nor state media have commented on the blasts, which reportedly occurred late Monday in a residential area in the city of Hyesan.
▶️ An explosion sent plumes of black smoke rising from a north Korean city near the border with China, Monday, as seen in video obtained by the Associated Press.
— The Voice of America (@VOANews) August 5, 2020
👉 North Korean Border City Rocked by Apparent Deadly Explosion https://t.co/HprBdq5Ecp pic.twitter.com/PsSSgykFH7
Videos, posted by the Associated Press and the Seoul-based Daily NK, showed repeated explosions, along with orange flames and dark smoke rising from a neighborhood in Hyesan. The videos were shot from China, which lies just across the Yalu River from North Korea.
Daily NK, which relies on a network of anonymous sources across North Korea, reported that the explosion killed at least 15 people. That figure has not been confirmed.
The outlet said the initial blast appeared to be caused by a gas leak in a house, which exploded a liquid petroleum gas cylinder. That set off as many as 10 other explosions at nearby houses, it reported.
North Korea frequently does not report deadly accidents.
