North Korea has made three arrests after the disastrous launch of a new warship that ended with the vessel tipped over on its side.
The 5,000-tonne destroyer, hailed as a “breakthrough” for the North Korean navy, listed over completely in front of a crowd including the nations leader Kim Jong Un when it was put to sea for the first time.
In a rare statement on a national accident, North Korean state media reported that an investigation was been launched into the incident, which Kim Jong Un described as a “criminal act”.
Authorities have since arrested the chief engineer of the shipyard, the head of the hull construction workshop and the deputy manager for administrative affairs.
Kim Jong Un has resolved to punish those responsible for the blunder, saying that it “brought the dignity and self-respect of our state to a collapse".
Although it is unclear what this punishment might mean, North Korea has a record of flagrant human rights abuses and brutal prison sentences even for seemingly minor crimes.
The dictator blamed: “absolute carelessness, irresponsibility and unscientific empiricism.”
The warship can now be seen in satellite images lying on its side and covered with massive blue tarpaulins.
KCNA, North Korea's official news agency, attempted to play down the incident – it did not report any injuries or casualties and claims that the failure was caused by scratches to the hull of the ship.
This is inconsistent with earlier reports, which suggested holes in the base of the destroyer allowed water to flood in, leading to the ship leaning over.
Mr Kim has ordered the vessel to be repaired before a party meeting in June.
