North Korea fired more than 100 artillery shells into Yeonpyeong Island off the west coast, killing two South Korean marines and wounding 21 people, and the South Korean Navy returned fire. The North Korean barrage began at 2:34 p.m., and South Korea’s response started at 3:42.
“I ran outside my house when my windows shattered from the blasts,” said Lee Jong-sik, a resident of the island for over 50 years. A blast could be heard every five minutes, Lee said, which she described as the first attacks on the island.
The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed that several buildings on the island were damaged by North Korean shells. Witnesses said fires spread quickly on the island, and residents were evacuated to schools and safe houses.
Two marine fatalities were confirmed by the military, and 13 soldiers were wounded along with three civilians. Soldiers and civilians were brought to hospitals. The wounded soldiers are currently at the Armed Forces Capital Hospital on the mainland, and the military believes there may be more military or civilian casualties.
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