88 killed in North Korea floods

Beijing, July 29 (IANS) Floods triggered by torrential downpour have killed 88 people in North Korea, the official KCNA news agency reported.

A total of 134 were reported injured and around 63,000 have become homeless in the past 10 days, Xinhua said.

More than 5,000 houses were destroyed and nearly 12,000 were submerged in floodwaters.

Embankment extending 160 km and 4,800 hectares of cropland were washed away.

BBC said South Pyongyang province suffered the biggest loss of life.

The KCNA said "big human and material losses" were caused between July 18 and 24.

Around 300 public buildings and 60 factories had been inundated.

In 2011, summer floods and a bitterly cold winter led to chronic food shortage, prompting Pyongyang to appeal for international aid, BBC said.

The UN has forecast that three million North Koreans would need food aid this year.