Military submersible explosion kills three people in naval base

By Park Sae-jin Posted : August 16, 2016, 18:21 Updated : August 16, 2016, 18:21
 

An ambulance arrives at a hospital in the southern city of Changwon to carry a dead officer. [Yonhap News Photo]


An explosion involving a military submersible killed three military personnel Tuesday and injured one at a naval base in the southern city of Jinhae, military authorities said.

The blast occurred at around 8:30 am (2330 GMT) when the small submarine was docked in the base for repair, the defense ministry said.  The exact cause of the accident was not known, but Yonhap News agency said gas trapped inside the submersible went off when the hatch of the submersible was opened.

Naval personnel were testing the equipment prior to starting full-scale repairs when the explosion took place, Yonhap said, adding the dead included a first lieutenant and two noncommissioned officers while the vessel's captain was under treatment.

The 30-year-old 70-ton submersible has been docked in the base for regular maintenance since May, the agency said.

The two Koreas have employed small submarines for special purposes. North Koran midget submarines have been used for espionage and infiltration.

Aju News Lim Chang-won = cwlim34@ajunews.com
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