North Korea is making a rare admission of catastrophic failure, after a 23-storey apartment block in the capital Pyongyang collapsed last week.  It is believed at more than 90 families lived inside at the time the building came down.

The official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) revealed that the accident occurred last week in the Pyongchon district of Pyongyang.  Officials blamed “sloppy building” and “irresponsible supervision and control.”  The reports did not say how many people were killed or hurt, but acknowledged “human casualties”.  The rescue mission ended on Saturday and the official news agencies then reported the incident, including photographs showing senior officials bowing in apology. 

North Korea’s propaganda machine is quick to criticize the South, with which it is technically still at war.  Last month, it lambasted Seoul’s response to the Sewol ferry disaster that killed more than 300 people.  By comparison, the last time Pyongyang acknowledged a major accident was the 2004 Ryongchon Disaster, when explosive cargo on two trains went up, killing or injuring hundreds of people.