South Korea: Accidental Bombing Leads to 142 Damaged Homes
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Synopsis
The number of homes damaged in a northern South Korean village due to an accidental bombing has significantly increased to 142. The incident involved fighter jets mistakenly dropping bombs during live-fire exercises, leading to injuries and designating the area as a special disaster zone for recovery efforts.
Key Takeaways
- 142 homes damaged in the bombing incident.
- The village is located in Pocheon, north of Seoul.
- Initial damage estimates rose significantly after assessments.
- 22 households evacuated; some have returned after repairs.
- The area will be declared a special disaster area.
Seoul, March 9 (NationPress) The tally of homes affected by last week's accidental bombing in a northern South Korean village has increased from 58 to 142 after a follow-up assessment, as reported by the local government on Sunday.
The village, located in Pocheon, approximately 40 kilometers north of Seoul, experienced significant destruction when two KF-16 fighter jets mistakenly dropped eight MK-82 bombs outside a training area during live-fire exercises on Thursday, according to Yonhap news agency.
Initially, the damage was estimated at 58 houses, but this number rose to 99 by Saturday morning, and following the second evaluation, it reached 142, as confirmed by the Pocheon municipal administration.
Currently, 22 households have evacuated, while 9 have returned home after partial repairs were made.
The interior ministry and local authorities in Gyeonggi Province and Pocheon have commenced a third round of damage assessments and safety checks today.
Earlier on Saturday, it was revealed that the northern village impacted by the accidental bombing would be classified as a special disaster area.
Acting President and Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok directed officials on Saturday to expedite the declaration of the Pocheon region, which experienced extensive destruction from the erroneous Air Force bombing, as a special disaster area to facilitate immediate recovery and assistance for the residents.
The incident resulted in injuries to 29 individuals, including 19 civilians, and caused damage to several structures.
Among the injured were six foreigners, comprising four Thais, one Nepalese, and one Myanmar national, all of whom sustained minor injuries, as per the South Korean Defence Ministry. Seven civilians—one Thai and one Myanmar national—along with two soldiers are receiving hospital treatment, the ministry reported on Friday.
Some military personnel were also injured when three bombs landed within a nearby Army base.
