LEAK SCARE

Evacuation Ordered After Alarming ‘Mishap’ at U.S. Air Base

A 1,000-foot safety cordon was put in place after a highly toxic substance leaked

The neighborhood surrounding a U.S. air base in South Korea was evacuated Tuesday after a munitions-related accident caused a white phosphorus leak.

Osan Air Base established a 1,000-foot safety cordon “due to a ground mishap and out of an abundance of caution,” base officials said in a statement.

No casualties were reported, and the evacuation notice—issued by the South Korean government for residents of Pyeongtaek, south of Seoul—was lifted after 30 minutes while decontamination work was carried out, according to local media.

White phosphorus is a highly toxic and controversial chemical that can ignite on contact with air.

It has been used in battlefield smoke screens and in incendiary weapons, but human rights groups have criticized its use in warfare because it burns at extremely high temperatures that can cause severe toxic burns and easily set structures on fire. White phosphorus exposure can also cause short- and long-term respiratory damage.

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The air base, which is home to approximately 5,500 U.S. service members and is a common stop for American presidents who visit South Korea, said that its emergency response professionals were “managing an isolated situation” with the “utmost care and expediency.”

U.S. officials said that the base established a cordon around its perimeter “out of an abundance of caution.”

“The safety of our service members, their families, and our Pyeongtaek neighbors remains our absolute highest priority,” base commander Col. Ryan Ley said in a statement, the Associated Press reported.

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Janna Brancolini

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