MORE than 5,000 people have been airlifted out of flooded areas of north-western North Korea after heavy summer rains caused a river on the Chinese border to swell, state media reported today.

The official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) did not mention any deaths or how much damage had been caused by the inundation on Saturday.

Summer floods often cause serious damage to farmlands in North Korea due to poor drainage, deforestation and dilapidated infrastructure.