By Vidhi Thacker
On Thursday, two fighter jets in South Korea accidentally dropped eight bombs on a civilian area during training. This incident injured at least eight people, according to officials, but another report stated the number was fifteen.
In a statement, the Air Force said that 500-pound MK-82 bombs released by the KF-16 fighter jets fell outside a firing range, resulting in civilian damage. The accident occurred in a heavily armed border with North Korea in a city called Pocheon at about 10 a.m.
The Air Force announced that a committee would be established to investigate the accident and the level of civilian damage it caused. The fighter jets were part of the Air Force’s joint live-fire drill with the army. An Air Force official said that the wrong coordinates for a bombing site were put by one of the pilots of the KF-16s. Further investigation was needed to find out why the second KF-16 also dropped bombs on a civilian area, said a Defense Ministry official.
The Air Force apologized to the injured people and hoped for their speedy recovery. It also said that it will actively offer compensation to those harmed.
Pocheon Mayor Paek Young-hyun, in a televised briefing, said that the bombings were “awful” and requested the military to pause drills in the city until it forms reliable steps that can prevent such accidents. Pocheon has 140,000 people and provides for the South Korean and U.S. military’s three major firing ranges.
The military assured that it has decided to halt live-fire drills in Pocheon.
Describing the training on Thursday, Paek said that it was a joint drill with the U.S. military. This however couldn’t be immediately confirmed by the South Korean Defense Ministry.
The disaster response centre in Pocheon said that six civilians and two soldiers were injured in the accident and were getting treatment at hospitals. Out of this, four civilians are in serious condition, including two foreigners from Thailand and Myanmar.
Contrary to this, a local fire agency stated that fifteen people were injured in the accident.
The Pocheon Center reported that three houses, a Catholic church, and a greenhouse were partially damaged.