North Korea bus crash kills tourists
A tour bus crash in North Korea on 23 April killed 36 people, including 32 Chinese tourists, Chinese officials have stated.
The Chinese state broadcaster reported that the bus plunged off a bridge in the North Hwanghae province, killing those inside. There was also footage released of a tour bus flipped over.
Due to both countries’ incredibly secretive officials, there is no official number for how many Chinese tourists cross the border into North Korea every year, but due to China being the country’s main trading partner and ally, experts estimate that it is around 80,000 a year – around 80 per cent of the total number.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un commented on the crash, with the official North Korean news agency KCNA reporting that he said that ‘the unexpected accident brought bitter sorrow to his heart’. He was also pictured in a hospital with injured survivors and with Chinese ambassador Li Jinjun after the event.