SEVEN people have been injured after a South Korean fighter jet accidentally dropped eight bombs on small town during a joint drill with the US.
The botched training happened shortly after 10am on Thursday in Pocheon, a city near the heavily fortified border with North Korea.
XThis is the moment one of the bombs hit the city of Pocheon[/caption]
A South Korean Air Force F-15K fighter jet accidentally dropped eight 500-pound bombs in a botched military drill with the US
AFPSouth Korean soldiers and rescue workers inspect a damaged house after the accident[/caption]
AFPCars and trees were also destroyed[/caption]
The South Korean KF-16 fighter jet “abnormally” released its MK-82 500-pound bombs outside a designated firing range, the South Korean Air Force said in a statement.
“We deeply regret the unintended release of the bombs, which resulted in civilian casualties, and wish those injured a swift recovery,” the statement read.
The military mishap injured seven people and damaged homes and local buildings, including a church.
Emergency responders rushed to the scene as residents described the moment the bombs fell.
One resident, surnamed Park, told Yonhap News Agency: “I suddenly heard an enormous explosion, like a thunderclap, and the whole house shook. When I went outside, everything was in chaos.”
At a nearby senior care centre, windows shattered, and one teacher was hospitalised with injuries.
“Fortunately, none of the seniors were hurt, but they were so frightened that we sent them all home,” the center’s director, surnamed Yu, said.
Shocking snaps from the scene show crumbling roofs and homes almost reduced to rubble.
Cars, shopfronts and even trees were also in destruction’s path.
Loads of debris could be seen scattered across the ground as emergency services cordoned off several areas of the South Korean town.
Authorities confirmed that one bomb exploded upon impact, while a disposal team worked to safely remove the seven unexploded bombs.
Residents living nearby were evacuated as a precaution.
An investigation is now underway.
The South Korean Air Force announced it was forming a committee to investigate what caused the “abnormal drop accident” and assess the full extent of the damage.
It also pledged compensation and additional support for affected residents.
The United States has yet to comment on the incident.
AFPThe accident happened shortly after 10am on Thursday[/caption]
ReutersHomes were badly damaged, with their walls and roofs completely destroyed[/caption]
APSouth Korea firefighters move near the bomb accident site[/caption]
ReutersA local shopfront was also damaged by the bombing[/caption]
The bizarre accident happened as South Korea and the US were conducting joint live-fire drills in Pocheon.
These are part of preparations for their annual Freedom Shield military exercise, which officially kicks off Monday and runs until March 20.
The large-scale drills, designed to boost defence readiness, will reflect “lessons learned from recent armed conflicts” and respond to the deepening military ties between North Korea and Russia, Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.
North Korea, which views US-South Korean exercises as invasion rehearsals, has yet to react.
But Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, warned earlier this week that Pyongyang could ramp up “strategic” threats in response to what she called increasing US “confrontational actions.”
Thursday’s incident is not the first military mishap during U.S.-South Korean drills.
In 2022, a South Korean ballistic missile malfunctioned and crashed onto a military base golf course, causing panic among residents.
ReutersOfficers have cordoned off the accident site[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
