Military drill blunder leaves 4 Thais injured in South Korea
Two fighter planes mistakenly dropped eight bombs in a residential area in South Korea during a military drill between the country and the United States, resulting in 15 injuries. Four of the injured victims are Thai nationals.
The spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, Nikorndate Palangkul, reported that the ministry received notification of the bombing in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, from the Royal Thai Embassy in Seoul yesterday, March 6.
The bombs were mistakenly dropped on a village in Pocheon by two fighter jets from the South Korean Air Force during the annual joint Freedom Shield military exercises between South Korea and the United States at around 10am yesterday.
The bombs were reported to be MK-82 models, which are primarily used for destroying bridges and buildings. A South Korean resident in the area, 65 year old Oh Moung-su, told Reuters:
“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 half-destroyed, and people were hurt.
Dust and smoke rose into the sky, and water gushed out of a pipe. People in a vehicle heading 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.”
The explosion caused serious damage to the residential area and injured 15 people. Four of them were reported to be Thai nationals.
One of the Thais suffered serious injuries to the hands and arms, while three others sustained only minor injuries.
The South Korean Air Force issued an official statement apologising to residents in the area and promising to compensate the injured victims and others affected. This is the first time that residents have been injured during the joint drill between the two countries.
A representative from the South Korean Air Force revealed to Reuters that the cause of the misdropped bombs was an error by a pilot, who entered incorrect coordinates and dropped four bombs.
Another pilot, flying a separate jet, followed suit, leading to the release of four more bombs.
Reuters added that residents in the area had been protesting for years about the disturbance and potential dangers posed by the military drill, and their fears have now been realised.
Regarding the Thai victims, the Royal Thai Embassy will contact them and closely monitor their condition.
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