North Korea in unprecedented apology for 'serious' construction accident

There has been a “serious” accident at a building site in Pyongyang this week, with “casualties”, but no death toll has been mentioned by state media.

The unusual report says the accident in Phyongchon district occurred on Tuesday “as the construction of an apartment house was not done properly and officials supervised and controlled it in an irresponsible manner”.

The unusual report from North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency says the rescue operation ended yesterday and that officials apologised to bereaved families and district residents.

The KCNA report cites one official as saying North Korea’s young leader Kim Jong Un “sat up all night, feeling painful after being told about the accident”.

The highly controlled state media for the reclusive regime rarely report news that might be considered negative.