North Korean officials "executed by firing squad" following 23-storey building collapse

Four design and construction engineers are believed to have been shot by firing squad following the deaths of around 500 people

North Korean officials responsible for the construction of a 23-storey apartment block which collapsed have reportedly been executed by firing squad.

Hundreds of people were feared dead when the structure fell to the ground, sparking a rare public apology and with Kim Jong Un being described as 'upset' and unable to sleep.

High-ranking party officials, police and intelligence analysts were among the 500 people killed in the incident in Pyongyang that was described as "serious" by the state-run Korean Central News Agency.

Four design and construction engineers were shot by a firing squad, according to Japan's Tokyo Shimbun newspaper, while a military official is believed to have been sent to a prison camp.

Pyongyang's expression of "profound consolation and apology" was the first official news of the disaster, which happened in the Phyongchon district of the North Korean capital.

"The construction of an apartment house was not done properly and officials supervised and controlled it in an irresponsible manner," said the statement from KCNA, which is better known for its strident attacks against South Korea and the United States.

The KCNA statement also said the collapse of the apartment building "claimed casualties" but did not give any indication of how many may have been killed or injured. It said a rescue operation ended on Saturday.

An official from South Korea's unification ministry confirmed on Sunday that a 23-storey apartment building had collapsed in Pyongyang last Tuesday, although he would not say from where the information had been obtained.

The official, who asked not to be identified, said the building was presumed to have held 92 families and that it was common for North Koreans to move into new buildings before construction was completed.

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North Korean officials "executed by firing squad" following 23-storey building collapse