The news was released by South Korean media outlets, which reported that up to 3,000 people had been killed or injured in the blast and subsequent fires.
[9][10] North Korean leader Kim Jong-il passed through the station several hours before the explosion as he returned from a meeting in China.
[9] Other observers have suggested that the poor state of North Korea's railway system may have contributed to the disaster.
[citation needed] The railway, built by the Japanese during their occupation of the country, is reported to be in poor repair, with elderly rolling stock running no faster than 65 kilometres per hour (40 mph) (in part due to the poor state of North Korea's electrical supply).
[11] According to North Korean defector Thae Yong-ho, Kim Jong-il ordered the execution of several transport officials after the disaster.