| South Korean Navy's 1.500-ton convoy ship Masan |
By Park Si-soo
A Navy officer was killed in an explosion on a vessel participating in a drill off the southern coast of the Korean Peninsula, Tuesday.
The accident happened about 12:20 p.m. on the 1,500-ton convoy ship Masan about 25 nautical miles south of an island off the southern coastal city of Tongyeong, about 380 kilometers south of Seoul.
The officer sustained a serious head injury. A helicopter took him to hospital, but he was later declared dead, the Navy said.
The explosion reportedly happened while he was removing ammunition from a gun. An investigation is under way to find the exact cause of the accident.