Fed: Australia offers help to North Korea - Downer

AAP General News (Australia)
04-25-2004
Fed: Australia offers help to North Korea - Downer

CANBERRA, April 25 AAP - Australia would make an offer to help North Korea following
the devastating train explosion, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said today.

At least 154 people had been confirmed dead and 1,300 injured after the train blast
near the border with China on Thursday. Half of the dead were children, killed when their
school was destroyed.

Most foreign journalists have been barred from the scene of the blast.

Mr Downer said information from the United Nations indicated the death toll was surprisingly
low given the devastation caused by the explosion.

"We've got some feedback from the UN Red Cross operation there and I understand they
assess about 150 people were killed and 1,300 injured," he told the Ten Network.

"We are prepared to provide assistance to North Korea if North Korea needs that assistance
and we'll make that offer again to the North Koreans.

"But at this stage, they do seem to be coping, albeit not very well, with this disaster."

Mr Downer said no Australian diplomats had yet visited the site of the explosion.

The massive explosion, at Ryongchon train station near the Chinese border, was caused
by an accident involving two train carriages packed with inflammable material on Thursday.

North Korea blamed human "carelessness" for the blast.

Its official news agency said the explosion was touched off by "electrical contact
caused by carelessness during the shunting of wagons loaded with ammonium nitrate fertiliser".

The chemical is also used in explosives and rocket fuel.

AAP sm/cdh/br

KEYWORD: KOREA EXPLOSION AUST

2004 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.