China's Foreign Ministry has confirmed that dozens of Chinese nationals have been killed in a motor vehicle accident in North Korea.
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"The Chinese Embassy in North Korea was informed by the DPRK that a serious traffic accident occurred on North Korea's Huanghai Road at night, causing heavy casualties to Chinese tourists," the statement said, adding that "relevant details are currently being verified."
NK News, citing travel industry officials, said more than 30 people have died in a tour bus crash in North Korea on Monday.
Chinese state news agency CGTN, in a since-deleted tweet, posted that a fatal accident had been caused by the bus falling off a bridge.
“The Working Group of the Chinese Embassy in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, accompanied by the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, rushed to the scene of the incident,” a release from the Chinese embassy said.
The ministry added that Chinese officials visited the site of the accident but have not disclosed the number of casualties. The ministry explained that an “emergency mechanism” has been put in place and the government is “sparing no effort” to investigate, an RT report said.
The news agency reports that the accident involved a group of Chinese travel company staff, near an area of a roadway which is under construction. No details of the accident have been offered by Chinese state officials or media.
The death toll remains unconfirmed. “Relevant details are currently being verified,” the embassy statement read.
About 80 percent of North Korea's foreign tourists are Chinese, according to the Korea Maritime Institute. Chinese tourists contribute some US$44 million to Pyongyang's annual revenue.