MaxarSatellite images have for the first time shown the extent of a shipyard accident in North Korea that damaged a new warship in the presence of the secretive state’s leader, Kim Jong Un.
The image shows the warship lying on its side, covered by large blue tarpaulins. A portion of the vessel appears to be on land.
An official investigation into the accident – which Kim described as a “criminal act” – has begun, state media reported on Friday.
None of the reports mentioned any casualties or injuries as a result of Thursday’s incident in the eastern port city of Chongjin.
KCNA, North Korea’s official news agency, downplayed the damage in a report on Friday, saying it was “not serious” and that, contrary to initial reports, there were no holes on the ship’s bottom.
“The hull starboard was scratched and a certain amount of seawater flowed into the stern section through the rescue channel,” KCNA reported.
The manager of the shipyard, Hong Kil Ho, has been summoned by law enforcers, it said.
It would take around 10 days to restore the destroyer’s side, according to KCNA.
Kim said on Thursday that the accident was caused by “absolute carelessness, irresponsibility and unscientific empiricism”.
He added that those who made “irresponsible errors” will be dealt with at a plenary meeting next month.
It’s not clear what punishment they might face, but the authoritarian state has a woeful human rights record.
It is uncommon for North Korea to publicly disclose local accidents – though it has done this a handful of times in the past.
This particular accident comes weeks after North Korea unveiled a similar 5,000-ton destroyer, the Choe Hyon.
Kim had called that warship a “breakthrough” in modernising North Korea’s navy and said it would be deployed early next year.
