North Korea battered by tidal wave

A tidal wave and torrential rain have battered the North Korean coastal province of Kangwon, killing more than 80 people.

The United Nations humanitarian coordination office in Pyongyang and North Korean officials say more than 10,000 have been made homeless.

Thousands of hectares of rice fields and much of the province's stored food were destroyed by the rain, which hit the region last week.

A spokesman for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies told the BBC that the floods were having a great impact on a population already on the brink of disaster at a time when the world's attention is elsewhere.

Torrential rain

North Korea is already facing serious food shortages - for the seventh successive year. The UN food programme is feeding a third of the country's 22 million people.

As well as 81 confirmed deaths, 82 people were injured and 27 people were still missing after last week's flooding, said the UN office, quoting North Korean officials. The worst-hit area was the town of Wonsan, home to more than 300,000 people.

The region was hit by 114mm (4.5 inches) of rain in two hours on 10 October, the state-run Korea Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Monday.

The flooding damaged ships and factories, while 1.5m (5 ft) high waves hit commercial buildings, port facilities, schools and hospitals, said the report.