Yikes.. (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,117872,00.html)

I hope this was not a true attempt on Kim jong Ill. Heh, he is just waiting for a reason to make a country glow.:eek

I seriously doubt it was anything more than a tragic accident. They happen in every country and I am sure it is not the first nasty wreck in North Korea either. This one was just close enough to the Chinese border to get reported to the rest of the world.

If someone had been out to get Kim's train, I doubt they would have missed it by several hours.

I agree. Most likely a terrible accident. It's strange though they jumped to such a media black out. Even to cut all the major lines of communication. Commy nation though. So go figure.

3000 people... it's hurrendous. And the sad thing is, most people will give little heed to it, as it's not a Western country, and, largely, because it's N.Korea.
I just hate to think the amount of children dead among those thousands.
Most likely just another toll in the famine-stricken country.

Pitty it didn't get that fucker.

Stalinist style regimes always try to stifle bad news...it looks bad for the leadership to admit things are less than perfect in their utopian worker's paradise.

I would not necessarily buy into the 3000 casualty figure either. South Korea has an interest in making the north look bad too, so the numbers could be inflated. I certainly hope they are.

Hmm.. as I read it, the facts and figures were coming from China, weren't they?

/nods

I would hazard a guess that thier lil leader doesn't use this as an excuse for war.

I'd bet we see an internal excecution for treason. With him using it as an excuse to rid himself of rivals...real or imaginary.

Very saddened for the loss of innocents, and I agree Halo...

Too bad he didn't burn...

Fandros

Nah. NK doesnt want war... but they DO want to A. Improve thier position globally and B. Get the US and others off their back.

How to do this?
Well, it seems news agencies are reporting that this was caused by explosives now, this opens up several possiblities for Kim Jong Il
The one I feel most likely is the video taped "confession" of someone, maybe they had something to do with it, maybe they didnt, but the important part is that the people of NK see Jong Il act heroically and quickly capture those responsible.
On this taped confession, these people will "admit" they are working with/for South Korea and the US. There are 2 reasons for this, Kim Jong Il cannot admit to his people that there is a domestic resistance group. That makes people start to ask questions. The other reason is that if the West is blamed it gives NK tremendous leverage in these talks now going on about disarmament.

Red Cross on the scene, 150 dead.

ROFL

Holy shit, look at this crater...

http://us.news1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/rids/20040425/s/r1168853009.jpg

More here (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/040425/photos_wl_pc_afp/040425030541_6d9vun6k_photo0).

I'll forgive North Korea for exaggerating the casualties after seeing that damage.

Hum, it makes you wonder... train crashes make craters? 0.o