South Korean jet accidentally bombs church during drills

Seven radical successful South Korea were injured, 4 of them seriously, aft a combatant pitchy accidentally dropped 8 bombs successful a civilian territory during a live-fire subject exercise.

The incidental involving the Air Force KF-16 craft took spot astatine astir 10:04 section clip (01:04 GMT) successful the metropolis of Pocheon, adjacent the borderline with North Korea.

Only 1 weaponry is believed to person exploded. A weaponry disposal squad is moving connected safely disposing the different 7 unexploded bombs, Pocheon authorities told the BBC. They said residents surviving adjacent the country person been evacuated.

While shells from unrecorded firing exercises sometimes onshore adjacent civilian residences, they seldom origin injuries.

According to section media reports, 2 radical suffered fractures to their necks and shoulders.

"Our KF-16 (jet fighter) abnormally dropped 8 shells of MK-82 bombs. It landed extracurricular of firing range," said Korea's Air Force successful a connection to the BBC.

It added that it was investigating the incidental and apologised for the damage, adding it would supply compensation to those affected.

One religion gathering and houses were besides damaged arsenic a effect of the incident.

Images published connected section media amusement a breached model of a gathering and damaged extortion of the church.

The defence ministry said the grooming connected Thursday was related to a associated drill with US forces.

South Korea and the US are acceptable to tally combined drills from March 10 to March 20 - the archetypal since US president Donald Trump's instrumentality to the White House. This comes astatine a clip erstwhile the 2 countries are progressively wary of the increasing confederation betwixt North Korea and Russia.