South Korea’s air force has apologised after one of its fighter jets accidentally dropped eight bombs in the wrong place during a training exercise on Thursday, resulting in civilian injuries.
“Eight MK-82 general-purpose bombs were abnormally released from an air force KF-16 aircraft, landing outside the designated firing range,” the air force said.
“We deeply regret the unintended release of the bombs, which resulted in civilian casualties, and wish those injured a swift recovery,” the air force said in its statement.
The National Fire Agency said four people had been seriously injured while three suffered minor injuries.
The incident occurred about 10am in Pocheon, about 25km (16 miles) south of the heavily fortified border with the nuclear-armed North.
It said it had established an accident response committee to investigate the incident, and said it would “take all necessary measures, including compensation for damages”.
The air force said the military jet had been participating in a joint live-fire exercise involving both the air force and army.
South Korea was holding combined live-fire drills with the US on Thursday in Pocheon, the Yonhap news agency reported.
The National Fire Agency said that the bombs were “presumed to have fallen on a village during a South Korea-US joint exercise”.
This resulted “in many displaced residents” it said, and damage to one church building and sections of two houses, it said.
One local resident, who gave only his surname Park, told Yonhap that he had been at home, watching television when the accident happened.
“I suddenly heard an enormous explosion, like a thunderclap, and the whole house shook. When I went outside, everything was in chaos,” Park said.
Even at a senior centre about a kilometre away, the accident was felt. “A sudden explosion shook the building. The windows shattered, and one of our teachers was injured and taken to the hospital,” the centre’s director, surnamed Yu, told Yonhap.
“Fortunately, none of the seniors were hurt, but they were so frightened that we sent them all home,” they added.
Joint South Korea-US “Freedom Shield” military exercises, one of the security allies’ largest annual joint exercises, are set to begin later this month.
The two Koreas remain technically at war since the 1950-1953 conflict ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty.
The United States stations tens of thousands of soldiers in the South, in part to protect Seoul against Pyongyang.
Source: www.theguardian.com