Children in the secluded nation of North Korea have been drowning annually due to gold mining, according to a local publication. A 7-year old was the latest victim this month, the news outlet specified.
One source in the Hermit Kingdom’s North Pyongan province recently informed Daily NK about the most recent unfortunate occurrence and the long-running phenomenon.
They say that water-filled trenches dug by state gold miners near a village on the eastern side of North Pyongan have been taking the lives of kids every summer.
“Every year, children get pulled into the depths and drown,” the source stated.
Specifically, upset locals blame the fatalities on “reckless dredging of riverbeds by organizations panning for gold to cover monetary quotas due to the [Workers’] party,” according to the North Korean source.
The deep pools were formed when local gold miners dug up the riverbed with excavators.
“Children who don’t know better often get stuck in those spots and drown,” the source described. “For that reason, locals describe the pools as death traps for their children.”
Daily NK says that local authorities have done nothing to remedy the situation and that all parents can do is urge their kids to play in shallow waters.
This publication is based in South Korea and focuses on North Korean politics, internal affairs, culture and human rights issues. It relies on a network on anonymous informants, which is hardly surprising considering the authoritarian nature of the country. These also include defectors that have fled the nation.
“N. Korean workers at Chinese fisheries surrender 90% of wages to state” and “N. Korea shutters exchange centers amid currency crisis” are a pair of the media outlet’s most recent headlines.
Founded in 2004, Daily NK has been the victim of multiple North Korean cyberattacks due to its sensitive reporting.
Renowned journalist Ian Urbina once described it as the best investigative news venue related to the mysterious country.
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