The unification ministry says North Korea is likely to have suffered a significant number of casualties from the recent flooding of the Amnok River.

A ministry official revealed the assessment to reporters on Thursday, adding that the government is still trying to determine the extent of damage caused by the latest floods.  

The official said analysis on imagery taken by South Korean satellites have shown flooding in the entire Wiwha Island as well as Uiju County and Manpo City in the northwestern Chagang Province. 

The official noted that Monday marked the first time for North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to convene an extended emergency meeting of the General Political Bureau on floods and the second time to convene such a meeting and adopt written decisions since coming to power. 

The first time such meeting was held was in July 2020 to discuss the COVID-19 pandemic.