North Korea has reportedly said that a huge explosion on September 9th in the North's Ranggang Province was related to the construction of a hydropower plant. In its Monday online edition, British news service BBC quoted North Korean Foreign Minister Paek Nam-sun as saying that the blast had resulted from the intentional demolition of a mountain as part of a hydroelectric project. The BBC reported that Paek made the remarks in response to a call for information by a British official who is currently visiting Pyongyang. A British delegation led by British Foreign Office Minister Bill Rammel arrived on Sunday in Pyongyang for talks on the North's human rights situation. The Pyongyang government as well as China, the North's closest ally, has yet to release any official comment on the BBC report. Despite Foreign Minister Paek's explanation, some observers have speculated that the incident was actually linked to an explosion of a missile base or arms-related facility, pointing out that the North would not willingly disclose such incidents. Meanwhile, major international news agencies including Reuters, AP and Kyodo hurriedly reported on Paek's remarks, quoting the BBC. South Korea