Russian diplomats return from North Korea on rail trolley

Moscow: A group of Russian diplomats and their family members returned to Russia from North Korea on a hand-pushed rail trolley on Thursday because of COVID-19 restrictions in the country, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said in a Facebook post.

“Since the borders have been closed for over a year and passenger traffic has been halted, staff members of the Russian embassy in North Korea and their family members embarked on a long and difficult journey to get home,” the ministry said.

The group of eight people took a 32-hour train ride, followed by two hours on a bus. They then boarded a rail trolley and pushed themselves for about a kilometre (half a mile) across the border into Russia.

A video posted by the ministry showed embassy staff with their children and suitcases on a trolley, cheering as two people pushed it across a railway bridge.

The Interfax news agency reported on Friday morning that the group later took a flight to Moscow from the far-eastern city of Vladivostok.

North Korea has claimed to be coronavirus-free but has sealed its borders and halted passenger traffic with other countries.

Outside experts are highly sceptical of the North’s zero-virus case claim.