A North Korean uranium mine used to make nuclear bombs has collapsed several times.
The extent of the damage is visible from space, with satellite images providing the best evidence of the situation.
The Pyongsan mine is the main source of uranium ore for Kim Jong-un’s nuclear weapons.
Ore from the site can be refined into a powder called Yellowcake, which is then processed into weapons-grade uranium.
Jacob Bogle, a freelance analyst who has created an extensive satellite map of the mysterious East Asian country, spotted the collapse in recent photos of the Pyongsan mine.
He said: “The Pyongsan mine is underground so the only visible aspects of it should be tunnel entrances, surface facilities such as crushers and coal piles.
“However, what has developed in the mine is a series of irregular pits with no associated activity – no trucks, no excavators and nothing to suggest they were built to facilitate mining.”
Mr Bogle suggested the pattern of recent collapses suggested areas that had been “excavated” had “lost their structural support”.
However, due to the size of the mine, which is less than 50 kilometers from the South Korean border, the uranium supply to the regime is unlikely to be disrupted.
Mr Bogle pointed out that there is an active shaft just 230 meters from the collapsed section that has recently been renovated for more activity.
He said: “Kim Jong-un announced in December that he wants to build “exponentially” more nuclear weapons.
“This requires more ore to be extracted from Pyongsan.
“Given the track record of the area, that can only lead to more accidents and collapses as more and more material is removed for processing.”
.
Source: Metro.co
Source link
I am Jack Morton and I work in 24 News Recorder. I mostly cover world news and I have also authored 24 news recorder. I find this work highly interesting and it allows me to keep up with current events happening around the world.
