April 29, 2004

Comparative imagery of the Ryongchon wreckage. Satellite images, pre- and post-blast, of Ryongchon DPRK. You can also compare close-up images of the train yard blast site and a nearby school. [via Fark, out of character]
posted by goetter 20 years ago
  • So based on where the crater seems to be, the train was inside a shed? I assume one of the wagons at the centre of the explosion was in the shed and the other train was being shunted in, or similar. Either way there's only one track going into that shed, so someone must have been asleep at the switch. That school...how horrible.
  • Central News Agency seem to be focusing on the important aspects of the disaster.
  • Uh, oh, the comments placement bug-thing is back.
  • there's no way in hell just 150 people died. that's what the north koreans are saying. early estimates were 3,000. wonder if we'll ever know the truth.
  • Bleakly effective way of looking at the explosion. SideDish, maybe over time, like with the Kursk disaster, something close to what really happened will come out.
  • Central News Agency seem to be focusing on the important aspects of the disaster. <irrelevant, partisan hipshot> it haunts dubyuh at night that nobody leapt from the WTC in an attempt to save a portrait of him.
  • Holy cow, that comparision really drives home how severe the blast was. I agree it looks like the blast was in that shed just off the tracks.
  • is it sort of sad that at first i thought the "before" picture was the "after" picture? all that black, scorched-looking area around the trainyard... but holy crap that blast must have been immense. perhaps helped along a bit though, anybody know how good contruction standards are in north korea? wonder if the damage would have been more limited with stronger buildings. that country must be hell to live in. it's like Beloved Leader read "1984" and said "that's exactly what i have in mind - the perfect utopian future!" but apparently they have good sex.
  • Don't forget folks, the initial blast may have not caused all the damage that you see in this picture. If the explosion started a fire it could easily have spread house to house (did you see how closely packed together they are) and caused much more destruction than the original blast.
  • and whats with the scary all-seeing eye motif...?