Japanese Television: Tunnel Collapse in North Korea After Nuclear Test Killed 200

Two months after North Korea's hydrogen bomb test at one of its underground nuclear facilities, reports have emerged of at least 200 deaths resulting from this test. The Japanese television network 'Asahi' was the first media outlet to report, citing its sources, that North Korea's hydrogen bomb test left over 200 dead. Pyongyang conducted its hydrogen bomb test in the 'Punggye-ri' area two months ago. According to the report, parts of which were published by the French news agency AFP, about 100 workers were killed immediately after the tunnel collapse, and another 100 lost their lives during rescue operations and the collapse of other sections of the tunnel. Japanese officials stated that the power of the tested hydrogen bomb was 120 kilotons, which is eight times more powerful than the bomb that destroyed Hiroshima in 1945. The explosion generated a 6.3 magnitude earthquake, followed by aftershocks of four magnitude shortly thereafter. Satellite images released by the '38 North' website show ground displacement and landslides in some areas surrounding the Punggye-ri nuclear facility. According to AFP, experts had previously warned about the consequences of such explosions, stating that this type of underground testing could lead to mountain collapses and the spread of radioactive materials in the border region between China and North Korea. The Telegram channel 'North Korea in Persian' has denied this news. The underground hydrogen bomb test at the Punggye-ri nuclear facility is North Korea's sixth nuclear test at this facility in the past ten years. The report of 200 workers' deaths at the North Korean nuclear facility comes just a week before U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to South Korea. Since President Trump's administration, tensions and verbal disputes between Washington and Pyongyang have intensified. The UN Security Council and the U.S. have increased sanctions against North Korea this year, but North Korea's leader has described the nuclear bomb as a sword to protect his people from a U.S. attack. Meanwhile, the U.S. and other countries emphasize a diplomatic solution to the North Korean crisis, stating that military force is the last resort in containing Pyongyang and its leader. In this context, James Mattis has stated that the threat of a nuclear missile attack from North Korea is increasing. The presence of U.S. and Russian defense ministers in talks related to North Korea and terrorism has also been noted. North Korea has warned that a nuclear war could happen at any moment. Rex Tillerson dismissed the negative impact of the U.S. decision regarding the JCPOA on the North Korean confrontation process.