Satellite View of Ryongchon, North Korea

[chop456]

The town that had the massive train explosion. Satellite views before:

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/dprk/images/ryongchon_dg_13may03_3.jpg

And after:

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/dprk/images/ryongchon_dg_27april04_1.jpg

:eek:

[rabbit]

Wow. :(

[Winston Wolfe]

"I see dead people."

THAT must have been a massive explosion. HOLY CRAP.

[KLang]

Wow indeed. Kinda looks like before and after action pictures from WWII.

[RaceGrrl]

That's amazing, and very sad. What is all the bright white in the "after" pic? Scorching on the rooftops?

[Warlock!]

What is all the bright white in the "after" pic? Scorching on the rooftops?
I would imagine it's some sort of reflection from the sun.

Warlock!

[RaceGrrl]

'lock, that's what I surmised, but it's not in the first pic, and the lighting seems similar. I guess the heat from the explosion could have cooked the roofing and caused it to be more reflective. Just curious.

*nevermind. It looks like the second photo was taken at a slightly different angle. :gomer:

[JoeBob]

Get out your tin hats. There seems to be some speculation that it was Kim Jong Il's train that got blowed up: http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/29/international/asia/29kore.html

[Methanolandbrats]

That's amazing, and very sad. What is all the bright white in the "after" pic? Scorching on the rooftops? I think it's the water in their indoor pools reflecting sunlight. The roofs were probably blown off. :)

[RaceGrrl]

I think it's the water in their indoor pools reflecting sunlight. The roofs were probably blown off. :)

smartass. :p

[oddlycalm]

Get out your tin hats. There seems to be some speculation that it was Kim Jong Il's train that got blowed up: http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/29/international/asia/29kore.html

Given the secrecy and BS from this regime speculation is certainly natural, however the pictures tell a pretty clear story. Given the schedule it's certainly possibe that the kids could have been lined up to waive as Kim's train went by, or for some unrelated function.

From the pictures it's clear that the center of the blast (where the craters are) are not on the main line, but on the siding that angles across the coal colored yard to what appear to be warehouses on the frontage road. The chances that they would have taken Kim's train off the main line and onto a dead end warehouse siding seem remote. The only logical way for him to be involved would be if his car was passing on the main line coincidental to the blast.

oc

Edit - That would seem like an unlikely coincidence, and would certainly cause speculation about an assasination attempt.

[G.]

My guess is that they covered habitable buildings with white tarps. Roofs get blowed off, tarp 'em.

Look at the b4 pic, just to the right of top dead center, say 1:00. There's a building in a brown field with a road to the left. Look at the after, the building is gone and SO IS THE ROAD. WTF? There also appears to be a bunch of tents set up, for rescuers or victims.

:(

[indyfan31]

I've look at these pictures dozens of times and I still don't "see" what happened. Where did the explosion generate from? where's the crater?

[Don Quixote]

Poor suckers never knew what hit them. :(

[devilmaster]

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/dprk/images/ryongchon_dg_13may03_3.jpg

http://www.mnsi.net/~smicalef/myryongchon.JPG

I'll try and give my reasons as best I can.

First off, the point of detonation is highlighted by my red circle. If you look at the before shot, you see the black coal look to the railway area. Where my red mark is, that black colour of the ground is gone, as is the railway station that once resided there.

Also, if you look at the destruction cone, the semi-circle (drawn in yellow) is a basic circle area of major devistation. You see that the circle's middle point also matches the area of the red dot.

Also, you can also see a possible indentation in the land around the red dot, undoubtably a blast crater. hilighted in blue.

One thing I did notice, is that a few major structures survived the direct blast, yet smaller buildings behind (which one can assume would survive because of shielding) didn't. One can assume that the small buildings could have been poorly built shacks and shanties which may have survived the compression wave, but simply burned. The green area hilights this point. This lends creedence to the direction of the blast. The large building saved the smaller ones behind it, but they then were consumed by fire.

The brown circle, is the area of total devistation. Nothing remains. Look at the original photo just above where I have placed my red dot. There was a white multi-story building probably about 3 to 5 stories high, and it has 7 windows across the face. That building (whether it was an office building or apartment complex) is gone, along with all the buildings around it.

We're looking at another Halifax Explosion here.

Hope it helps.
Steve

[Lizzerd]

Thanks, Steve. I was tryiing to figure that out too.

[devilmaster]

Look at the b4 pic, just to the right of top dead center, say 1:00. There's a building in a brown field with a road to the left. Look at the after, the building is gone and SO IS THE ROAD. WTF? There also appears to be a bunch of tents set up, for rescuers or victims.

G. - I believe that is actually a construction area that was being worked on. You can see that in the 2nd pic, the road to the bottom of that area was blocked off.

It now, unfortunately, is a tent city. Similar to what Haligonians faced after the halifax explosion.

Steve

[Classic Apex]

:eek: :eek: :eek:

When in the hell did this happen !?!

[Robstar]

When in the hell did this happen !?!

Dude, where have you been ? :saywhat:

Last week... :)

[Classic Apex]

Dude, where have you been ? :saywhat:

Last week... :)

Lincoln, Nebraska.

'Nuff said.

:D

[Ankf00]

Lincoln, Nebraska.

'Nuff said.

:D


I thought Iowa had plenty of corn for everyone though, why Lincoln? :laugh:

Lincoln folk are on my list of good peoples, shocking how they can be so nice to strangers... they definately make all other college football fans look like utterly conceited heathens

[Classic Apex]

Lincoln folk are on my list of good peoples,

Definitely. Couldn't agree more. Enjoyed my time downtown there a few nights ago. Gotta love them college towns. :D

Allrighty...back on topic.