SHOOTING IN SAIGON STREET

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30965, 22 January 1966, Page 13

SHOOTING IN SAIGON STREET

(N.Z.P.A. Reuter—Copyright)

SAIGON, January 21.

A wild burst of small arms shooting broke out at a busy Saigon intersection shortly after noon today, apparently touched off when exploding firecrackers led South Korean troops to believe they were under fire.

No one was reported injured in the 15 minutes of shooting. Ten to 15 Korean troops aboard a truck in a convoy coming into Saigon heard explosions, thought they were being fired on and began shooting into trees along the street and into the second stories of nearby buildings. The explosions were be-

lieved to be from firecrackers being set off almost continuously in celebration of the lunar New Year, but the Koreans apparently were not aware of this custom. U.S. SOLDIERS A truckload of United States soldiers was moving along the tree-lined street in the opposite direction. When the Americans heard the firing they jumped from their truck, deployed along the kerb and also began firing into the trees. Some accounts of the confusion said the Koreans and Americans may have fired towards each other, but this was not confirmed, and no troop casualties were reported. There also were no reports of casualties in the buildings along the street. Passers-by scattered hurriedly and military police rushed to the scene. Military authorities instilled order after cordoning off a large area, and fire crackers once again were the only explosions being heard.