South Korea says number injured in fighter jet misfire rises to 29

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SEOUL (Reuters) – The number of people injured after South Korean fighter jets accidentally dropped bombs on a civilian area on Thursday increased to 15 civilians and 14 soldiers, the country’s defence ministry said.

The latest tally included cases of ear damage due to the blasts, as well as people suffering from migraines and anxiety, Defence Ministry spokesperson Jeon Ha-kyu told reporters on Friday.

Two South Korean fighter jets mistakenly dropped eight air-to-surface bombs on a civilian town on Thursday. An ensuing blast shook homes and buildings, video footage showed.

The area impacted in Pocheon, which is about 40 kilometres (25 miles) northeast of Seoul, was outside of a training area close to the border with North Korea.

Nine of the wounded were currently hospitalised, including two who were seriously hurt, according to the spokesperson.

Eight 500-pound (225 kg) Mk82 bombs from two jets fell outside the designated range during joint live-fire exercises due to a pilot entering incorrect coordinates, the military said.

Authorities have suspended live-fire exercises until it was clearly established what had gone wrong, but the military said the incident would not affect major joint South Korean and U.S. military exercises starting on Monday.

Near the defence ministry in Seoul, dozens of activists and residents from the affected town held a rally on Friday to demand a halt to military drills that threaten the lives and peace of people living in the area.

“We, Pocheon citizens, are fundamentally questioning these ongoing military exercises,” said Lee Myoung-won, a Pocheon resident at the rally, adding it was unclear who the military drills were providing security for and what they were for.

(Reporting by Ju-min Park; additional reporting by Jisoo Kim; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and Ed Davies)