3 dead after explosion at South Korean naval base

A South Korean Navy soldier stands guard at a naval base in Jinhae, South Korea, Aug. 16. An accidental explosion happened during repair work on a submarine at a naval base in the southeast of the country, South Korean officials said. AP

SEOUL, South Korea—An accidental explosion at a South Korean naval base on Tuesday left three soldiers dead and another injured, South Korea’s defense ministry said.

Military authorities are investigating the blast that occurred during repair work of a submarine at the base in the southeastern port town of Jinhae, but the possibility of an attack was considered very low.

The explosion occurred when the soldiers opened the hatch of the docked submarine and was strong enough to blow one of the dead soldiers into the sea, said a ministry official, who didn’t want to be named, citing official rules.