Eight Mk82 bombs fell outside designated area, Air Force says
Residents have protested about military drills for years
Drills are linked to upcoming South Korea-US joint exercises
POCHEON, South Korea, March 6 (Reuters) – South Korean fighter jets accidentally dropped eight bombs on a civilian district on Thursday, injuring 15 people and damaging houses and a church during military exercises in Pocheon, the Air Force and fire agency said.
The fire agency said in a statement that 15 people were wounded, including two who were seriously hurt.
Pocheon is about 40 kilometres (25 miles) northeast of Seoul, near the heavily militarised border with North Korea.
“There was a sudden loud roar of a fighter jet, then an explosion rang out.. When I went to the scene, there were about four houses that were halved from the damage, people hurt,” said Oh Moung-su, a 65-year-old resident.
“Dusk and smoke rose into the sky, water gushed out of a pipe. People in a vehicle going to a construction site were injured – some of them couldn’t even get out of the car. Another was outside the car covering his eye.”
South Korea’s Air Force said eight 500-pound (225kg) Mk82 bombs from two KF-16 jets fell outside the shooting range during joint live-fire exercises.
