Almost 200 North Korean soldiers have been killed by coronavirus as the killer virus sweeps the isolated regime, according to reports.
The secretive state has not recorded a single case of coronavirus since it surfaced in neighbouring China in late December. Fears of a catastrophic outbreak are growing as South Korea confirmed it is the second most infected nation in the world with more than 7,000 cases. And now a source in North Korea has claimed the Covid-19 strain of coronavirus has killed 180 soldiers, while more than 3,700 have been quarantined, the Daily NK reports. The death toll was reportedly revealed in a document sent by army medics to the regime’s military bosses. Disturbingly, the source claimed the North Korean military is struggling to cremate the dead soldiers as there are ‘just too many bodies’.
Diplomats flee
The news comes after a flight carrying dozens of diplomats fleeing North Korea arrived in Russia today. Most of them were wearing face masks, with some accompanied by children, as they were pictured at Pyongyang International Airport. North Korean health workers wearing white protective suits scanned them for fevers. Russian state news agency Tass says there were about 60 foreigners aboard, including 13 Russian citizens, flown out to Vladivostok in Russia. North Korea lifted a month-long quarantine on foreign diplomats based in Pyongyang on March 2, allowing them to leave the country if needed.
Also read: Pakistan’s total coronavirus cases go upto 16 as 9 more cases get reported from Karachi