Skip to Content Facebook Feature Image

South Korean fighter jets accidentally drop bombs, injuring 8 people

News

South Korean fighter jets accidentally drop bombs, injuring 8 people
News

News

South Korean fighter jets accidentally drop bombs, injuring 8 people

2025-03-06 20:40 Last Updated At:20:50

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Two South Korean fighter jets accidentally dropped eight bombs on a civilian area during a joint live-fire exercise with the U.S. military on Thursday, injuring eight people, officials said.

The MK-82 bombs released by the KF-16 fighter jets fell outside a firing range, the air force said in a statement. It apologized and expressed hopes for a speedy recovery of the injured and said it would offer compensation and take other necessary steps.

More Images
A police officer controls damaged area near the site of an accidental bombing in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

A police officer controls damaged area near the site of an accidental bombing in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Firefighters walk near the site of an accidental bombing in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Firefighters walk near the site of an accidental bombing in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

South Korea firefighters move near a bomb accident site where a South Korean fighter jet accidentally dropped bombs on a civilian area during training, in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

South Korea firefighters move near a bomb accident site where a South Korean fighter jet accidentally dropped bombs on a civilian area during training, in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

A dog walks in front of damaged house near a site of an accidental bombing in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

A dog walks in front of damaged house near a site of an accidental bombing in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Police officers control damaged area near the site of an accidental bombing in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Police officers control damaged area near the site of an accidental bombing in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Local resident Park Sung-sook reacts at her damaged house near a bomb accident site in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Local resident Park Sung-sook reacts at her damaged house near a bomb accident site in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

South Korean Air Force F-15K fighter jets fire flare shells during the joint military drill between South Korea and the United States at Seungjin Fire Training Field in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (Yonhap via AP)

South Korean Air Force F-15K fighter jets fire flare shells during the joint military drill between South Korea and the United States at Seungjin Fire Training Field in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (Yonhap via AP)

Firefighters arrive near the scene where a South Korean fighter jet accidentally dropped bombs on a civilian area during training, in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Firefighters arrive near the scene where a South Korean fighter jet accidentally dropped bombs on a civilian area during training, in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Military soldiers walk out from the scene where a South Korean fighter jet accidentally dropped bombs on a civilian area during training, in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Military soldiers walk out from the scene where a South Korean fighter jet accidentally dropped bombs on a civilian area during training, in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Firefighters talk each others near the scene where a South Korean fighter jet accidentally dropped bombs on a civilian area during training, in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Firefighters talk each others near the scene where a South Korean fighter jet accidentally dropped bombs on a civilian area during training, in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Military ambulance arrives near the scene of accidentally dropped eight bombs on a civilian area in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Military ambulance arrives near the scene of accidentally dropped eight bombs on a civilian area in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

South Korea army soldiers stand guard near a bomb accident site where a South Korean fighter jet accidentally dropped bombs on a civilian area during training, in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (Yonhap via AP)

South Korea army soldiers stand guard near a bomb accident site where a South Korean fighter jet accidentally dropped bombs on a civilian area during training, in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (Yonhap via AP)

South Korean soldiers and police officers stand near the scene where a South Korean fighter jet accidentally dropped bombs on a civilian area during training, in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

South Korean soldiers and police officers stand near the scene where a South Korean fighter jet accidentally dropped bombs on a civilian area during training, in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

South Korea army soldier police officer stand guard near a bomb accident site where a South Korean fighter jet accidentally dropped bombs on a civilian area during training, in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (Yonhap via AP)

South Korea army soldier police officer stand guard near a bomb accident site where a South Korean fighter jet accidentally dropped bombs on a civilian area during training, in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (Yonhap via AP)

South Korean army soldiers and police officers stand guard near a bomb accident site in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (Lim Byung-shick/Yonhap via AP)

South Korean army soldiers and police officers stand guard near a bomb accident site in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (Lim Byung-shick/Yonhap via AP)

Rescue members work at a bomb accident site where a South Korean fighter jet accidentally dropped bombs on a civilian area during training, in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (Yonhap via AP)

Rescue members work at a bomb accident site where a South Korean fighter jet accidentally dropped bombs on a civilian area during training, in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (Yonhap via AP)

A South Korea army's Apache Guardian helicopter fires rockets during the joint military drill between South Korea and the United States at Seungjin Fire Training Field in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (Yonhap via AP)

A South Korea army's Apache Guardian helicopter fires rockets during the joint military drill between South Korea and the United States at Seungjin Fire Training Field in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (Yonhap via AP)

South Korean Air Force F-15K fighter jets fly during the joint military drill between South Korea and the United States at Seungjin Fire Training Field in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (Yonhap via AP)

South Korean Air Force F-15K fighter jets fly during the joint military drill between South Korea and the United States at Seungjin Fire Training Field in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (Yonhap via AP)

South Korean Air Force F-35A fighter jets fire flare shells during the joint military drill between South Korea and the United States at Seungjin Fire Training Field in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (Yonhap via AP)

South Korean Air Force F-35A fighter jets fire flare shells during the joint military drill between South Korea and the United States at Seungjin Fire Training Field in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (Yonhap via AP)

The air force said the fighter jets were taking part in the one-day firing drill with the U.S. military in Pocheon, a city close to the heavily armed border with North Korea.

The air force also said a committee would investigate the accident and examine the scale of the damage inflicted.

An unidentified air force official told local reporters that a pilot of one of the KF-16s had entered wrong coordinates for a bombing site. An unidentified Defense Ministry official told reporters that further investigation was needed to determine why the second KF-16 also dropped bombs on a civilian area.

In a televised briefing, Pocheon Mayor Paek Young Hyeun 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.

Park Seong-sook, a 70-year-old eyewitness who was not hurt in the bombing, said she thought “a war has broken out.”

“It was such a loud sound,” she said, adding that it left her trembling with fear.

The military said later Thursday it has decided to suspend all live-fire drills across South Korea.

The accident came just before the South Korean and U.S. militaries announced they will begin large-scale annual military drills next Monday.

It's unclear how long the suspension of the live-fire training would last, but observers said it would likely be until the military determines the cause of Thursday’s accident and maps out preventative steps.

Pocheon’s disaster response department said six civilians and two soldiers were injured and were being treated at hospitals. Four of the injured — all civilians — were in serious condition, the department said. Two of the seriously injured are foreigners, one from Thailand and the other from Myanmar.

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 department.

Associated Press video journalist Yong-ho Kim in Pocheon, South Korea, contributed to this report.

A police officer controls damaged area near the site of an accidental bombing in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

A police officer controls damaged area near the site of an accidental bombing in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Firefighters walk near the site of an accidental bombing in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Firefighters walk near the site of an accidental bombing in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

South Korea firefighters move near a bomb accident site where a South Korean fighter jet accidentally dropped bombs on a civilian area during training, in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

South Korea firefighters move near a bomb accident site where a South Korean fighter jet accidentally dropped bombs on a civilian area during training, in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

A dog walks in front of damaged house near a site of an accidental bombing in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

A dog walks in front of damaged house near a site of an accidental bombing in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Police officers control damaged area near the site of an accidental bombing in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Police officers control damaged area near the site of an accidental bombing in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Local resident Park Sung-sook reacts at her damaged house near a bomb accident site in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Local resident Park Sung-sook reacts at her damaged house near a bomb accident site in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

South Korean Air Force F-15K fighter jets fire flare shells during the joint military drill between South Korea and the United States at Seungjin Fire Training Field in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (Yonhap via AP)

South Korean Air Force F-15K fighter jets fire flare shells during the joint military drill between South Korea and the United States at Seungjin Fire Training Field in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (Yonhap via AP)

Firefighters arrive near the scene where a South Korean fighter jet accidentally dropped bombs on a civilian area during training, in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Firefighters arrive near the scene where a South Korean fighter jet accidentally dropped bombs on a civilian area during training, in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Military soldiers walk out from the scene where a South Korean fighter jet accidentally dropped bombs on a civilian area during training, in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Military soldiers walk out from the scene where a South Korean fighter jet accidentally dropped bombs on a civilian area during training, in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Firefighters talk each others near the scene where a South Korean fighter jet accidentally dropped bombs on a civilian area during training, in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Firefighters talk each others near the scene where a South Korean fighter jet accidentally dropped bombs on a civilian area during training, in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Military ambulance arrives near the scene of accidentally dropped eight bombs on a civilian area in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Military ambulance arrives near the scene of accidentally dropped eight bombs on a civilian area in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

South Korea army soldiers stand guard near a bomb accident site where a South Korean fighter jet accidentally dropped bombs on a civilian area during training, in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (Yonhap via AP)

South Korea army soldiers stand guard near a bomb accident site where a South Korean fighter jet accidentally dropped bombs on a civilian area during training, in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (Yonhap via AP)

South Korean soldiers and police officers stand near the scene where a South Korean fighter jet accidentally dropped bombs on a civilian area during training, in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

South Korean soldiers and police officers stand near the scene where a South Korean fighter jet accidentally dropped bombs on a civilian area during training, in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

South Korea army soldier police officer stand guard near a bomb accident site where a South Korean fighter jet accidentally dropped bombs on a civilian area during training, in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (Yonhap via AP)

South Korea army soldier police officer stand guard near a bomb accident site where a South Korean fighter jet accidentally dropped bombs on a civilian area during training, in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (Yonhap via AP)

South Korean army soldiers and police officers stand guard near a bomb accident site in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (Lim Byung-shick/Yonhap via AP)

South Korean army soldiers and police officers stand guard near a bomb accident site in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (Lim Byung-shick/Yonhap via AP)

Rescue members work at a bomb accident site where a South Korean fighter jet accidentally dropped bombs on a civilian area during training, in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (Yonhap via AP)

Rescue members work at a bomb accident site where a South Korean fighter jet accidentally dropped bombs on a civilian area during training, in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (Yonhap via AP)

A South Korea army's Apache Guardian helicopter fires rockets during the joint military drill between South Korea and the United States at Seungjin Fire Training Field in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (Yonhap via AP)

A South Korea army's Apache Guardian helicopter fires rockets during the joint military drill between South Korea and the United States at Seungjin Fire Training Field in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (Yonhap via AP)

South Korean Air Force F-15K fighter jets fly during the joint military drill between South Korea and the United States at Seungjin Fire Training Field in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (Yonhap via AP)

South Korean Air Force F-15K fighter jets fly during the joint military drill between South Korea and the United States at Seungjin Fire Training Field in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (Yonhap via AP)

South Korean Air Force F-35A fighter jets fire flare shells during the joint military drill between South Korea and the United States at Seungjin Fire Training Field in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (Yonhap via AP)

South Korean Air Force F-35A fighter jets fire flare shells during the joint military drill between South Korea and the United States at Seungjin Fire Training Field in Pocheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (Yonhap via AP)

ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkey has begun a new phase in sweeping restorations of the nearly 1,500-year-old Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, focusing on preserving the monument's historic domes from the threat of earthquakes.

Officials say the project will include reinforcing Hagia Sophia’s main dome and half domes, replacing the worn lead coverings and upgrading the steel framework while worship continues uninterrupted in the mosque.

A newly installed tower crane on the eastern façade is expected to facilitate the efforts by transporting materials, expediting the renovations.

“We have been carrying out intensive restoration efforts on Hagia Sophia and its surrounding structures for three years,” said Dr. Mehmet Selim Okten, a construction engineer, lecturer at Mimar Sinan University and a member of the scientific council overseeing the renovations. “At the end of these three years, we have focused on the seismic safety of Hagia Sophia, the minarets, the main dome and the main arches, especially due to the expected Istanbul earthquake.”

In 2023, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck southern Turkey, destroying or damaging hundreds of thousands of buildings and leaving more than 53,000 people dead. While Istanbul was not impacted, the devastation in southern Turkey heightened fears of a similar quake with experts citing the city's proximity to fault lines.

Okten said a “new phase” of work is about to begin, one that he describes as the most significant intervention in over 150 years and in the totality of the structure's long history.

“A tower crane will be installed on the eastern facade, and then we will cover the top of this unique structure with a protective frame system,” he said. “That way, we can work more safely and examine the building’s layers academically, including damage it suffered from fires and earthquakes in the 10th and 14th centuries.”

Built by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian in 537, Hagia Sophia was turned into a mosque with the 1453 Ottoman conquest of Istanbul. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founding leader of the Turkish republic, converted it into a museum in 1934.

Although an annex to Hagia Sophia, the sultan’s pavilion, has been open to prayers since the 1990s, religious and nationalist groups in Turkey had long yearned for the nearly 1,500-year-old edifice they regard as the legacy of Ottoman Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror to be reverted into a mosque.

Turkey’s highest administrative court overturned the 1934 decree in 2020, allowing it to reopen as a mosque.

“We have completed our work on the four minarets and the main structure,” Okten said. “But for this unique cultural heritage (of the domes), we plan to use modern, lightweight materials and keep the building open to the public."

Visitors to the site expressed approval of the plan.

“Hagia Sophia is amazing, it’s one of the world’s most important monuments,” said Cambridge University lecturer Rupert Wegerif. “It seems really important that they are going to strengthen it in case of earthquakes and preserve it.”

Okten said that while it wasn't clear when the renovations will be finished, the process would be open to the public to be “monitored transparently.”

People visit Byzantine-era Hagia Sophia mosque in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

People visit Byzantine-era Hagia Sophia mosque in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

People visit Byzantine-era Hagia Sophia mosque, in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

People visit Byzantine-era Hagia Sophia mosque, in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

A depiction of the Seraphim angel is seen in the Byzantine-era Hagia Sophia Mosque at Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

A depiction of the Seraphim angel is seen in the Byzantine-era Hagia Sophia Mosque at Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

A depiction of the Seraphim angel is seen in the Byzantine-era Hagia Sophia Mosque at Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

A depiction of the Seraphim angel is seen in the Byzantine-era Hagia Sophia Mosque at Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

People visit Byzantine-era Hagia Sophia mosque, in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

People visit Byzantine-era Hagia Sophia mosque, in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

People visit Byzantine-era Hagia Sophia mosque, in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

People visit Byzantine-era Hagia Sophia mosque, in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

People wait in line to visit Byzantine-era Hagia Sophia mosque next to scaffolds installed for restoration works, in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

People wait in line to visit Byzantine-era Hagia Sophia mosque next to scaffolds installed for restoration works, in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

People look at Byzantine mosaics in Hagia Sophia mosque, in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

People look at Byzantine mosaics in Hagia Sophia mosque, in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

Scaffolds are installed in Byzantine-era Hagia Sophia mosque for restoration work, in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

Scaffolds are installed in Byzantine-era Hagia Sophia mosque for restoration work, in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

People visit Byzantine-era Hagia Sophia mosque, in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

People visit Byzantine-era Hagia Sophia mosque, in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

Scaffolds are installed in Byzantine-era Hagia Sophia mosque for restoration work, in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

Scaffolds are installed in Byzantine-era Hagia Sophia mosque for restoration work, in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

People visit Byzantine-era Hagia Sophia mosque in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

People visit Byzantine-era Hagia Sophia mosque in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

Recommended Articles
Hot · Posts