North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made visits to the Chinese embassy in Pyongyang and a hospital on Monday morning and evening to express his condolences and visit the survivors of a recent tour bus crash, the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Tuesday.

The accident took place on Sunday night in the DPRK’s North Hwanghae Province, claiming the lives of 32 Chinese nationals and four DPRK staff, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) announced on Monday.

Two Chinese citizens are also reported to be in “a critical condition due to serious injury.”

One source in China told NK News on Monday that the crash took place as the bus returned to Pyongyang from the southern city of Kaesong – along a highway parts of which are currently undergoing renovations ahead of an inter-Korean summit on Friday.

The DPRK leader visited the Chinese embassy in Pyongyang at 0630 local time on Monday “to express his deep sympathy over an unexpected traffic accident that claimed heavy casualties among Chinese tourists to the DPRK,” KCNA reported in an English-language article.

Kim reportedly expressed his “sympathy and deep condolences” to Chinese President Xi Jinping, the Communist Party of China (CPC), the Chinese government, and the bereaved families of the victims.

“He said that the unexpected accident brought bitter sorrow to his heart and that he couldn’t control his grief at the thought of the bereaved families who lost their blood relatives,” the KCNA’s English-language report said.

In a Korean-language version of the report, Kim said the “unexpected unfortunate event broke his heart.”

The DPRK leader said that the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) and his government would “take follow-up measures with utmost sincerity… to alleviate the pain of the bereaved families,” adding the North Korean people considered the accident to be their own misfortune.

Following his visit to the People’s Republic of China Embassy Monday morning, Kim visited the hospital where survivors of the accident are being treated and “personally learned about the treatment of the wounded.”

“He called on the wounded and warmly sympathized with them and consulted the future treatment with medical workers of the government hospital while learning about the conditions of patients,” according to the KCNA.

Chinese Ambassador to North Korea Li Jinjun reportedly thanked Kim for his visit and for “showing deep care and personally taking detailed measures as regards the recent sudden accident though he is busy with his important political schedule.”

The Chinese Ambassador emphasized that Beijing would take up follow-up measures in close cooperation with Pyongyang, according to KCNA report, and he would make an immediate report on Kim’s visit to Xi, the CPC, and the Chinese government as well as convey his condolences to the families of the deceased.

Kim’s visit to the embassy just a day after the accident comes amid warming ties between Pyongyang and Beijing following a year of poor relations. 

Monday saw Ambassador Li say the visit highlighted how much the PRC and the DPRK government and people valued their bilateral friendship, and that “this has been proven again to be unbreakable and great friendship.”

Kim Jong Un rarely visits foreign embassies in Pyongyang, having most recently made a courtesy call at the Cuban embassy to mourn the death of Fidel Castro in November 2016.

Pyongyang’s notably swift reaction to Sunday’s accident stands in stark contrast to the DPRK government’s delayed reaction to the collapse of a Pyongyang apartment block in May 2014.

Five days following the collapse, KCNA reported that a “serious accident” had occurred at a construction site in Phyongchon District and that it had claimed casualties.

Kim Jong Un reportedly “sat up all night, feeling painful after being told about the accident, instructed leading officials of the party, state and the army to rush to the scene, putting aside all other affairs,” Kim Su Gil, chief secretary of the Pyongyang City Committee of the WPK quoted the leader as having said.

Despite the DPRK leader ordering “the rescue operation to recover from the damage as early as possible,” he did not visit the scene of the accident.

Edited by Oliver Hotham

Featured image: KCNA