South Korea, March 6 - Fifteen people were injured after fighter jets dropped bombs on a residential area in South Korea on Thursday, the Air Force and Fire Agency said. It is noteworthy that the bombing during military exercises in Pocheon damaged homes and a church. The Fire Agency said in a statement that 15 people were injured, two of them seriously.
The South Korean Air Force said that eight 500-pound MK 82 bombs from two KF-16 jets fell outside the shooting range during a joint exercise. "We express our condolences for the loss caused by this accident and we wish the injured a speedy recovery," the Air Force said in a statement. A military official, who declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter, said the accident was caused by poor coordination between the pilots. The official said the two jets then dropped four bombs each, all of which exploded.
The official said the drill would be suspended until it was clear what went wrong, but the incident would not affect major joint South Korean and U.S. military exercises that begin on Monday.
Images from the scene showed shattered windows and a church building covered in rubble. Security camera footage broadcast on local TV captured the before and after of the incident. “Such an incident was unimaginable,” said Baek Young-hyun, mayor of Pocheon city, and urged the government and military to take steps to prevent further civilian casualties.