At least 15 people were injured on Thursday when South Korean Air Force jets accidentally dropped eight bombs on a civilian area during a live-fire training exercise, according to NBC.
ABC reported that the live-fire training exercise was being held in the Nogok-ri area of Pocheon, a city near the North Korea border. The exercise was undertaken in preparation for Freedom Shield, an annual U.S. and South Korea joint military exercise set to start on Monday, March 10.
“Eight 500-pound MK-82 bombs were ‘abnormally released’ by two air force KF-16s, landing outside the designated firing range,” NBC reported, citing the South Korean Air Force.
In a video from The Associated Press, viewers can see the damage done to various buildings as a result of the incident.
The Mayor of Pocheon, Baek Young-Hyun, is shown in the video addressing the press. He provided information on what happened, expressed sympathy to those that were injured and indicated that the city and government “will swiftly begin the process of resolving the incident.”
The video shows the damage caused by the bombing and highlights two witnesses' accounts of what they saw and heard.
Although it’s not unheard of for shells used in live-fire trainings to land near civilian areas, injuries are rarely reported, according to the BBC.
But 15 civilians were injured on Thursday and two of the injuries were serious injuries to the neck and shoulders, the article said.
Additionally, a chapel, five houses, a warehouse and a greenhouse were damaged as a result of the incident, NBC reported.
The incident is still being investigated but, as of now, it is said that four of the bombs were misfired due to one of the pilots entering incorrect coordinates during their flight preparation, per NBC.
The BBC reported that while the investigation continues, “all live-fire exercises will be suspended.”
“The safety of the local community, U.S. and Republic of Korea personnel is our top priority,” a spokesperson for U.S. Forces Korea, Col. Ryan Donald, said in a statement, according to NBC. “We take this incident very seriously.”
According to the BBC, the last incident that happened during a South Korea and U.S. joint training was in 2022.
That’s when a short-range ballistic missile was fired and then malfunctioned, causing it to crash on the military base’s golf course. Thankfully, the warhead didn’t explode but did send panic through residents in the area when it burst into flames.