Explosion rocks South Korean military base

23 Dec, 2024 08:32
Three people were injured in the incident, according to the authorities

A blast has rocked a military base in South Korea during an inspection of facilities storing hazardous materials, the Yonhap news agency has reported, citing police and firefighting officials.

Three people were injured in the incident, which happened on Monday morning at a logistics center in the city of Gimhae, 310km southeast of Seoul, according to the agency.

All of the victims are civilians. They suffered burns, with medics describing their condition as non-threatening, Yonhap added.

According to the news agency, the explosion took place during an inspection of a recently constructed tank facility for hazardous materials.

The reasons for the blast are currently being investigated, it said.

In October, a failed launch of a Hyunmoo-2 short-range ballistic missile caused an explosion and a major fire at a South Korean military base in the eastern coast city of Gangneung, local media reported. There were no injuries as result of the incident, which occurred during joint US-South Korean drills.

Later the same month, a blaze ravaged a warehouse of the US Forces Korea (USFK) in the port city of Busan. It took firefighters 19 hours to extinguish the flames. No injuries were reported. The warehouse was empty due to renovations, according to the US military.