A group of foreign diplomats has left Pyongyang to visit the scene of a mysterious explosion in North Korea.
"They went today. They will come back late tonight or tomorrow," said a Western diplomat in Pyongyang of the mission, led by British Ambassador David Slinn.
Japan's Kyodo news agency reported on Thursday that diplomats from eight countries left on a chartered plane for the site of last Thursday's blast near the Chinese border, which initially sparked concern the reclusive North had tested a nuclear weapon.
North Korean Foreign Minister Paek Nam-sun told a visiting British diplomat on Monday the blast was part of work to remove a mountain to make way for a hydroelectric project and agreed to allow foreign diplomats to tour the site.
US Secretary of State Colin Powell said on Tuesday North Korea's explanation squared with Washington's view.
The US assessment should help quell speculation the blast was related to military activity in the reclusive state as has been widely discussed among analysts and the media in neighbouring South Korea.
The United States, North and South Korea, Japan, Russia and China have been holding talks with the unpredictable, communist nation to dismantle its suspected nuclear weapons programmes.
But the talks have made little progress and some critics of the US policy believe North Korea has been using the time to build up a nuclear arsenal and could be set to conduct tests.