North Korean official who was visiting Russia whose name matches that of a man cited by of a military university in North Korea, drowned while swimming in a lake near Moscow, Russian media reported.
The Baza website, which often publishes information from security and law enforcement sources, said the employee, Kim Geum-chol, died on July 11 in a lake in Zelenograd, about 37 km away. northwest of Moscow, reported Reuters, quoted by BTA..
North Korea's KCTA news agency reported earlier this year that a North Korean delegation of elite military instructors had flown to Russia on July 8 – a first-of-its-kind military exchange after the two countries' leaders signed a pact agreement committing to closer military cooperation.
KCTA reported that Kim Geum-chol, whom it identified as the president of the "Kim Il-sung" Military University, led the delegation. The country's leader, Kim Jong-un, attended the military university after studying in Switzerland while being groomed to become the third leader of the DPRK.
North Korea's embassy in Moscow yesterday did not respond to a Reuters inquiry to confirm Kim's death and identity.
The Moscow police, who have not commented on the incident publicly, were checking the circumstances of what happened, the SHOT channel reported separately in "Telegram".
Both Baza and SHOT described the deceased as someone who was on an official visit and was staying at the North Korean embassy in Moscow. None of the media mentioned any links to military education, only that he worked in agriculture.
Baza claims that Kim traveled, accompanied by a translator, to Lake Bolshoi Gorodskoi in Zelenograd, seeking coolness from the hot summer.
Both Baza and SHOT said the translator lost sight of Kim after he went swimming and contacted police. His body was found the next day in the lake. Both publications indicated that the deceased was 64 years old.
A young English tourist drowned on Wednesday in Lake Como, northern Italy, and his girlfriend was rescued by a passing boat, Italian media reported, citing AFP and BTA.
According to the website of the “Corriere della Sera“ the two young men were spending their vacation on the shore of the lake and decided to rent a small boat to go for a walk.
They jumped from the boat into the water to bathe, but the current took the boat away and they could not reach it, the newspaper reported.
The 19-year-old girl was rescued a short time later by another passing boat and reported that her companion was missing.
A police helicopter found the body of the drowned 22-year-old.
An investigation has been launched into the circumstances surrounding the accident.
According to the AGI agency, these are two students from the English city of Liverpool.