DPRK state media reported that 5,000 people had been moved in the city of Sinuiju and nearby villages.

China is continuing mass evacuations, with 94,000 people in the Dandong area being taken to safety after the Yalu burst its banks on August 21.

Further rain is expected in the region, putting more pressure on rescue work.

The DPRK’s official KCNA news agency reported that water from Yalu - or Amnok, as it is known in Korean - had destroyed homes and buildings in five villages.

Sinuiju, in the North Pyongan province, was said to have been "severely affected", with residents trying to find safety on roof-tops or on higher ground.

The agency reported that Kim Jong-il, DPRK leader, had deployed military units, including the air force and navy, to aid rescue efforts and move at least 5,150 people.

Sinuiju lies on a vital trade route for North Korea and previous flooding has exacerbated problems in a country where millions have died in famines over the last two decades.