Does this fall under the holy shit column: Blast, Mushroom Cloud Reported in N. Korea

[feclnogn]

Blast, Mushroom Cloud Reported in N. Korea
Major Explosion Followed by Mushroom Cloud Reported in North Korea on Key Communist Regime Date

The Associated Press



SEOUL, South Korea Sept. 11, 2004 — A large explosion occurred in the northern part of North Korea, sending a huge mushroom cloud into the air on an important anniversary of the communist regime, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported Sunday.
Citing an unidentified source in Beijing, Yonhap said the explosion happened on Thursday in Yanggang province near the border with China. The damage and crater left by the explosion in Kim Hyong Jik county was big enough to be noticed by a satellite, the source said.





"We understand that a mushroom-shaped cloud about 3.5- to 4- kilometer (2.2 miles to 2.5 miles) in diameter was monitored during the explosion," Yonhap quoted an unidentified diplomatic source in Seoul as saying.

North Korea was founded on Sept. 9, 1948. Leader Kim Jong Il uses the occasion to stage performances and other events to bolster loyalty among the impoverished North Korean population.

Experts have speculated that North Korea might use a major anniversary to conduct a nuclear-related test, though there was no immediate indication that the reported explosion on Thursday was linked to Pyongyang's efforts to develop nuclear weapons.

On April 22, train wagons at a railway station exploded in the North Korean town of Ryongchon, killing 160 people and injuring an estimated 1,300, according to some estimates. The blast was believed to have been sparked by a train laden with oil and chemicals that hit power lines.

The source in Beijing that told Yonhap about the explosion last week said it was reportedly bigger than the train explosion in Ryongchon.


Copyright 2004 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

 

[Elkhunter]

Holy Chit!!

 

[trophy_killer]

Powell Says N. Korea Blast Not Nuclear

SEOUL, South Korea - A huge explosion rocked North Korea last week but U.S. and South Korean officials said Sunday it was unlikely to have been a nuclear weapons test despite the appearance of a "peculiar cloud" over the area.

South Korea first got indications of the blast from a satellite, but it was too early to say whether it was a bomb, a senior South Korean official told Reuters. It probably occurred between Wednesday evening and Thursday morning.

"The weather overall at the time was cloudy but there was a peculiar cloud, a cloud that was different from any other," said the official, who asked not to be identified. "We cannot confirm whether it had the characteristics of a mushroom cloud."

Secretary of State Colin Powell said there was no indication the explosion was a nuclear test. "They haven't conducted a test to the best of our knowledge and belief and the activity
reported today is not conclusive if they're getting ready to do one or not," Powell said on NBC's "Meet the Press."

National Security Adviser Condoleeza Rice said the administration was analyzing the explosion, however. "We don't think, at this point, that it was a nuclear event. But we're looking at it and we'll get further analysis," Rice said on CNN's "Late Edition"."

North Korea is believed to be developing nuclear weapons -- Washington has said it may have one or two or even more already. In October 2002, U.S. officials said North Korean officials admitted to a clandestine uranium enrichment program that could be used to develop nuclear weapons and that violated its international commitments.

Rest of the story.... CLICK HERE

 

[Orca Lover]

Thanks for the help with my World History homework guys. I did the assignment from another source, but this should prove interesting to my teacher.

OL