[앵커]
The absurd incident occurred when a Japanese Coast Guard patrol boat accidentally fired a machine gun at land while it was moored in a port.
There are also gas facilities around the port, so it almost could lead to a major accident.
Correspondent Lee Kyung-ah from Tokyo reports.
[기자]
A little past 11 am on the 19th.
The accident occurred in a port in Miyakojima City, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan.
Eight 20mm cannons were fired from a patrol boat belonging to the Korea Coast Guard, which was anchored.
Residents were greatly astonished by the sudden sound of gunfire echoed across the beach.
[지역 주민 : 상당히 큰 소리였습니다. 설마 실탄이라고는 생각 못했습니다.]
[지역 주민 : 연속해서 ‘팡…팡…’ 소리가 울렸어요. 실수로 쐈다면 큰일이죠. 이쪽에는 언제나 사람들이 있거든요.]
The accident occurred while seven people including the captain and crew were conducting preliminary inspection and training prior to the maritime shooting drill.
At that time, the captain, unaware that the crew had loaded some ammunition into the machine gun, thought it was firing blank bullets and gave an order to fire.
Local media reported that not only gas facilities but also hotels and cafes were located around the port.
If it had been hit by such a facility, it would have been a situation that would have led to a major accident.
The Japanese government announced that there were no casualties or damage to private facilities as a result of this accidental accident.
[마쓰노 히로카즈 / 일본 관방장관 : 이런 사고가 벌어진 것은 대단히 유감입니다. 앞으로 해상보안청이 철저히 사실관계를 조사하고 원인 규명을 실시할 것입니다.]
The Korea Coast Guard held a press conference and apologized, saying that “it caused an unprecedented situation” and that the excuses did not work.
At the same time, in order to prevent recurrence, it has been decided to suspend maritime shooting training of the 20mm machine gun, which has become a problem in this area for the time being.
This is Kyungah Lee from YTN in Tokyo.
YTN Kyungah Lee ([email protected])
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