North Korea ? Powerful storms in North Korea have left “hundreds” dead or missing and destroyed more than 30,000 homes, the country’s state media reported today.

The official Korean Central News Agency said preliminary information revealed the massive casualties after the heavy rains that began last week but gave no specific figures.

It also reported flooding of tens of thousands of acres of farmland in the impoverished country that suffers from regular food shortages.

“The heavy rain destroyed at least 800 public buildings, over 540 bridges, 70 sections of railroads and at least 1,100 vehicles, pumps and electric motors,” KCNA said.

Hardest hit appeared to be Kangwon province, where KCNA said there were “huge casualties” and that homes for more than 20,000 families were partly or completely destroyed. The effects also reached to the North Korean capital, Pyongyang.