North Korea rushes to get supplies, shelter to flood victims

North Korean soldiers and relief teams rushed to clear roads and railway tracks, build shelters and provide food and sanitation Friday to tens of thousands of residents in a remote part of the country near the Chinese border that was devastated by heavy downpours and flash floods when a typhoon pounded their villages last week.

Strong winds and flash floods caused by Typhoon Lionrock have killed more than 130 people, destroyed tens of thousands of homes and crippled infrastructure in North Korea's northern tip, according to officials in Pyongyang, the capital, and international aid organizations.

Workers in hard hats and rubber boots used shovels and formed lines on Friday to hand-remove rocks and rubble from flooded areas in Onsong County, where damage was severe, and tried to clear twisted railroad tracks so work could begin to repair them. Furthermore, a UN report issued by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said the floods displaced tens of thousands of people and destroyed homes, buildings and critical infrastructure. The report said the government has confirmed 133 people were killed and another 395 were missing. It said more than 35,500 houses, schools and public buildings were damaged, with 69 percent completely destroyed.