Gov't to declare Pocheon disaster zone after accidental bombing

A catholic church is seen damaged one day after  fighter jets accidently dropped bombs on a village in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, March 7. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

A catholic church is seen damaged one day after fighter jets accidently dropped bombs on a village in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, March 7. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

A northern village accidentally bombed by Korean fighter jets will be designated a special disaster area.

Acting President and Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok instructed officials Saturday to "swiftly declare the Pocheon area, which suffered massive damage from an erroneous Air Force bombing, a special disaster area to ensure prompt recovery and support for residents."

On Thursday, two KF-16 fighter jets "abnormally" dropped eight MK-82 bombs outside a training range in Pocheon, some 40 kilometers north of Seoul, during a live-fire exercise. The accident left 29 people injured, and damaged multiple buildings.

The official declaration is expected later in the day. (Yonhap)

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