White phosphorus leak reported inside US airbase in South Korea, safety ministry says

ByREUTERSJULY 28, 2026 12:16Updated: JULY 28, 2026 14:06South Korean authorities ordered brief neighborhood evacuations on Tuesday after a leak of white phosphorus inside the US Osan Air Base south of Seoul, the Safety Ministry said.No casualties were reported, and the evacuation notice for residents was lifted after about half an hour, as South Korean fire authorities and US forces carried out decontamination work, Yonhap news agency reported."At 17:08, due to a ground mishap and out of an abundance of caution, Osan AB (Air Base) established a 1,000-foot safety cordon to protect the base and local populace," the base said in a statement."Our emergency response professionals are currently managing an isolated situation on the installation. We are handling this matter with the utmost care and expediency."The base did not immediately reply to a request to confirm the nature of the leak.White phosphorus is a highly toxic substance that can ignite on contact with air and is used in battlefield smoke screens and incendiary weapons.This is a developing story.Follow us on Google