South Korean air force accidentally drops bombs on homes, injuring 15
Why you can trust Sky News
At least 15 people have been injured after South Korean fighter jets accidentally dropped eight bombs on a civilian area, according to the air force fire agency.
Two KF-16 fighter jets were taking part in a joint firing drill with the US military when they dropped eight 500lb (225kg) Mk-82 bombs outside a firing range in Pocheon, the air force said.
Pictures from the scene showed a house with a hole blasted out of it, debris strewn around a church and a shop with shattered windows.
"There was a sudden loud roar of a fighter jet, then an explosion rang out," said 65-year-old resident Oh Moung-su.
"When I went to the scene, there were about four houses that were halved from the damage, people hurt. Dust and smoke rose into the sky, water gushed out of a pipe.
"People in a vehicle going 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 air force apologised and said it will offer compensation to the victims.
It said it will establish a committee to investigate why the accident happened and to examine the scale of the damage.
Two of the 15 injured people were seriously hurt, the fire agency said.
The city of Pocheon sits around 40km (25 miles) northeast of the capital Seoul and is close to the heavily militarised border with North Korea.
The accident was caused by a pilot entering the incorrect coordinates for a bombing site, an unidentified air force official told local reporters. The jets dropped four bombs each, all of which detonated.
Authorities would suspend live-fire exercises until there was a clear understanding of what went wrong, the official said.
An unidentified Defence Ministry official also said more investigation was required to discover why the second jet also dropped bombs on the civilian area.
"The unthinkable has happened," Pocheon city mayor Baeck Young-hyeun said.
Local residents have protested about the potential danger of the nearby training grounds for years, and the mayor urged the government and military to come up with measures to prevent any further civilian damage.
Earlier on Thursday, the defence ministry said South Korea and US forces were holding their first joint live-fire exercises in Pocheon.
They are linked to the annual Freedom Shield military drills, due to start next week and run for 10 days, which are aimed at strengthening the alliance's readiness for threats such as North Korea, South Korea's joint chiefs of staff said before the accident.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
36 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Family of tragic Greg Monks ‘truly heartbroken' as they pay tribute to ‘amazing guy' after body found in Portugal
THE family of Greg Monks have paid tribute to an "amazing guy" after he was found dead in Portugal. The plant mechanic, 38, was discovered by police today at the bottom of a ravine after vanishing last Wednesday. Advertisement 3 Greg Monks' sisters Jillian and Carlin are 'heartbroken' Credit: Sky News 3 The Scot vanished while on a stag do in the party hotspot of Albufeira Credit: Getty Greg, from Cambuslang, near Glasgow, disappeared in the early hours after travelling to Albufeira for a stag do with friends. It's thought that Greg got lost and fell to his death as he tried to get back to his hotel. Now, his distraught loved ones have shared their grief following the tragic loss. Sister Jillian Monks, 36, who carried out a mass social media campaign to find Greg, told the Daily Record: "We are truly heartbroken. Advertisement "Everyone who knows Greg knows how much he will be missed and what an amazing guy he was." Scores of well-wishers also rushed online to pay their respects. One said: "Proud to call you my mate." Another added: " Advertisement A third wrote: " It comes after Greg's sisters revealed the "alarm bells" moment after he vanished from the party hotspot. Just hours after arriving in Portugal for the five-day stag do, he told pals that he was heading back to his holiday apartment on his own after several hours of partying and drinking. The last official sighting of Greg was at around 3.27am on Wednesday, May 28, near the Cerro de Aguia area as Greg's last known picture was revealed. Advertisement This is more than an hour's walk west of the popular party resort where Greg is thought to have left his friends, while the Novochoro Apartments, which he had checked into on Tuesday night, are a 30-minute walk north. His worried parents and girlfriend Nicole Ashleigh Kelso flew out to the Algarve in a bid to trace him. 3 Tragic Greg Monks died after plunging down a revine in Portugal Hours before his death, Greg's sisters Jillian and Carlyn told Sky News that the family have been left "worried sick". Advertisement Jillian said: "We were contacted on Wednesday afternoon asking if there was any way we could track his phone because he hadn't come home from the night before. "This immediately raised alarm bells. It's just not like him. He wouldn't normally do something like this. "It had only been twelve hours since he was seen, but we were just so worried." She and Greg's mates then tried to report him missing to the police but "it wasn't really taken as seriously at first because it hadn't been that long", Jillian said. Advertisement But as time went on and fears for Greg's safety grew, cops have been "working day and night", "putting every resource they can" into the search for Greg.
Glasgow Times
5 hours ago
- Glasgow Times
'Alarm bells' moment for family of missing Greg Monks
The 38-year-old plant mechanic from Cambuslang, near Glasgow, disappeared in the early hours of Wednesday morning, May 28, while out with mates on the Albufeira Strip. However, he never returned. The last confirmed sighting of him was around 3:27am in the Cerro de Aguia area. According to Google Maps, this area is around an hour and 20 minute walk from the main strip in Albufeira. Greg's cousin Alison Fraser posted a statement on Facebook. It reads: 'I'm Greg's cousin and I'm here in Albufeira, this is the last official sighting of Greg at around 3.27am on Wednesday, May 28. 'He was walking by the villa, circling and in the direction of the arrow. Please share, particularly with any local residents' groups.' (Image: Alison Fraser/Facebook) READ MORE: New image emerges of Glasgow man missing in Portugal His parents and girlfriend, Nicole Ashleigh Kelso, have flown to the Algarve to assist in the search. In an interview with Sky News, Greg's sisters, Jillian and Carlyn, described the family's anguish. Jillian said: "We were contacted on Wednesday afternoon asking if there was any way we could track his phone because he hadn't come home from the night before. "This immediately raised alarm bells. It's just not like him. He wouldn't normally do something like this. "It had only been twelve hours since he was seen, but we were just so worried." Initially, police didn't take the missing person report seriously due to the short time since his disappearance, but as concern mounted, Portuguese authorities escalated the search. Jillian said police have since been 'working day and night' and 'using every resource they can' to find him. CCTV footage has shown Greg walking alone in the Cerro de Aguia area, a quiet, rural part of Albufeira filled with trees, rocks, and cliffs. (Image: Alison Fraser/Facebook) Jillian added: "The family flew out on Thursday evening just to try and get some answers. "The police had said he was seen on CCTV in a residential area, Cerro de Aguia. "He's been spotted twice walking alone on CCTV around there. It's residential and quite rural with a lot of trees and rocks and cliffs." Describing Greg as 'quiet, hardworking, and a great godfather and uncle,' Jillian said his girlfriend Nicole is 'heartbroken and trying to keep it together.' Carlyn added: 'He's a real family man. This just isn't like him. We're trying to hold each other up and keep fighting to find him.' The Glasgow Times reported last week that the family has made a public appeal for anyone in the Cerro de Aguia area with doorbell or home security footage between 2am and 5am on May 28 to come forward. READ MORE: Family of Glasgow man missing in Portugal in CCTV plea Jillian pleaded: "If you see his picture and know anything, any tiny little bit of information, just get in touch, let us know where he last was. Carlyn added: "If you live in the area or any of the surrounding areas and have any home security cameras or anything that could capture him travelling around, please check it." Greg was due to fly back to Scotland on May 30, but he never made the flight. We previously reported that a fundraiser was set up to support the family's search efforts. The GoFundMe has already raised over £21,000. READ MORE: Fundraiser launched for family of missing Glasgow man A statement published on the page reads: 'I have been asked by the family to set this up. Our son Greg Monks, 38, went to Portugal for a stag do on Tuesday, May 27. 'On their first night out, our son Greg never returned to his hotel and has now been reported missing for three days. 'We are desperately seeking Greg's safe return and need your help. There are professional search teams out looking for Greg, and the family have all flown out to try and help find him, but they don't know how long their stay will be. 'They are doing everything they can. Every donation, no matter the size, will make a difference in our efforts to bring Greg home. 'Thank you for your support and prayers.' The Glasgow Times reported that Greg's disappearance had been reported to police, the hotel where he was staying, and the British Embassy in Portugal by his family. A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office said: 'We are supporting the family of a British man reported missing in Portugal and are in contact with the local authorities'. The GoFundMe page can be viewed HERE.
Daily Mirror
8 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Family of Brit who vanished on stag do 'worried sick' as they admit worst fear
Greg Monks, 38, vanished after becoming separated from friends just hours after they arrived for a five-day stag do in Albufeira, Portugal - he was last seen in navy Nike shorts and a t-shirt The family of a British man who suddenly disappeared on a stag do have said they are 'worried sick' about him. Greg Monks, 38, vanished after becoming separated from his friends during the first evening of their five-day trip to Portugal last week. He was last seen on CCTV in the residential area of Cerro de Aguia, located roughly four miles away from the main club and bar strip of Albufeira, on Tuesday 27 May. Searches for him began the next day, with his parents and girlfriend flying out to find any information they can, but there have been no further sightings. Now, Mr Monks's sisters Jillian and Carlyn have spoken of the anguish felt by the family back home since his disappearance - said they are still "waiting for answers". Carlyn told Sky News last night: "As a family, we're worried sick. It's just so unlike him, but myself and Jillian are just trying to hold each other up back home." Jillian also admitted their "unimaginable" fear that Greg may be "lying somewhere and we can't find him". Greg, who is from Glasgow, had only been in the Algarve for a matter of hours before he disappeared, with he and his friends having checked into the Novochoro Apartments before heading out to the Albufeira Strip. They then visited King's Cross karaoke bar before Greg became separated from the rest of the group. The family have shared a photograph of the last known picture of him, showing him in navy Nike shorts and a t-shirt of the same brand. Jillian said his friends had raised the alarm the following morning when they told her "he's not come home from the night before", and asked whether they could track his phone to see his location. When she first tried to report Greg as missing on the Wednesday, she said authorities initially did not appear to take the case "seriously" because "it hadn't been that long". Upon their arrival in Albufeira, she said police told them that there were two recorded sightings of him on CCTV in Cerro de Aguia. This area includes "rough terrain", including jagged rocky hillsides and sharp cliffs, she said, and was over an hour's walk from the Albufeira Strip, where his friends last saw him. Jillian is now urging police to use dogs to help trace his movements - and has asked local residents to get in touch if they have any information that could help, no matter how "tiny". The family have also set up a Facebook group to help spread the word, which now has over 10,000 members. Posters have been made in English and Portuguese with contact details and information on his last known whereabouts. A Foreign Office spokesperson told the Mirror: 'We are supporting the family of a British man reported missing in Portugal and are in contact with the local authorities'.
