SEOUL (AFP) – South Korea’s Air Force said yesterday that one of its fighter jets had accidentally dropped eight bombs in the wrong place during a training exercise, 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.
The incident occurred around 10am in Pocheon, around 25 kilometres (km) south of the heavily fortified border with the nuclear-armed North.
“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 a statement. 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 United States (US) yesterday in Pocheon, the Yonhap news agency reported.
South Korea’s 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 “casualties and property damage, with many displaced residents,” it said, adding that four people had been seriously injured and three suffered minor injuries.
One building and sections of two houses were damaged, according to the statement.
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 from the accident was felt.
