South Korean fighter jets accidentally drop bombs during training exercise, injuring multiple people

South Korean fighter jets accidentally dropped bombs on a civilian area during a live-fire training exercise with the U.S. on Thursday, injuring multiple people and damaging multiple buildings, including three houses and a Catholic church.

The MK-82 bombs “abnormally” released by the KF-16 fighter jet fell outside a firing range, causing unspecified civilian damages, the air force said in a statement.

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Reports of the number of people injured varied, but South Korea’s Yonhap news agency put the number at 15, including civilians and soldiers. Two of the injured were serious but not life-threatening, the outlet reported. At least seven buildings were damaged.

The air force said the fighter jets were taking part in the air force’s joint live-firing drills with the army. It apologized for the incident and promised to establish a committee to investigate the cause of the accident and the extent of the damage. 

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South Korean media reported that the accident happened in Pocheon, a city near the heavily armed border with North Korea. In a televised briefing, Pocheon Mayor Paek Young-hyun called the bombings “awful” and urged the military to halt drills in the city until it formulates reliable steps that can prevent a recurrence. He said that Pocheon, a city of 140,000 people, provides three major firing ranges for the South Korean and U.S. militaries.

The military later said it has decided to suspend all live-fire drills across South Korea. Observers say the military will resume firing exercises after it learns the exact cause of Thursday’s accident and maps out steps to prevent recurrences.

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Three houses, a Catholic church and a greenhouse were partially damaged but they did not appear to have been directly hit by the bombs, according to the Pocheon department.