North Korea hit by its own missile.
A North Korean missile exploded over a densely populated area of the city of Tokchon, The Diplomat reported, citing US government sources.
This incident occurred when North Korea conducted an unsuccessful missile test on April 28, 2017.
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The Diplomat, an international news magazine based in Tokyo, Japan, citing US government sources familiar with North Korea's weapons program, reported that the Hwasong-12/KN17 medium-range ballistic missile, launched from Pukchang Air Base in South Pyongan Province, malfunctioned minutes after launch and fell in Chongsin-dong, Tokchon City, causing significant damage to industrial complexes or agricultural buildings.
According to US government sources, the missile's engine failed about a minute after launch, leading to the disaster. The missile was unable to fly beyond 70 kilometers.
Because the new rocket only used a small fraction of its liquid fuel, the building in Tokchon would most likely suffer a large explosion upon impact. However, since the explosion occurred outside of business hours, the likelihood of casualties on the ground is very low.
Evidence regarding the incident was independently verified by The Diplomat using commercial satellite imagery from April-May 2017.
In April 2017, most news reports about the launch were sparse, simply stating that North Korea had test-fired a missile, but it was unsuccessful.
The U.S. Pacific Command also confirmed that a missile was launched near Pukchang airfield, a location that had never before been used by North Korea for missile tests.
