【英语国际】抚顺坠机疑为朝鲜“脱北”战斗机

A plane crash that killed its lone pilot near the Chinese city of Shenyang on Tuesday appeared to be that of a North Korean jet, reports said, prompting speculation a fighter pilot was fleeing his homeland.

On Wednesday, China's state-run Xinhua news agency quoted 'relevant' government sources as saying the plane that crashed a day earlier may have been North Korean, noting its pilot was killed but otherwise damage was minimal. In South Korea, the Yonhap news agency quoted intelligence sources as saying the plane was a North Korean MiG fighter jet that crashed shortly after takeoff.

Photos circulating on the Internet showed what appeared to be a fighter jet with a faded red star of the North Korean military burrowed into a thick cornfield, its silver fuselage draped by logs, bricks and hay matting, with a slashed tail wing. 'The aircraft crashed into a civilian makeshift house, leaving no Chinese dead or injured. The pilot died on the spot,' Xinhua quoted its sources as saying.

It is unlikely the flight was a provocation by North Korea into China; no one has suggested it was shot down. Beijing is North Korea's primary global ally, supporting it in the face of U.S.-led allegations that Pyongyang was behind the sinking of a South Korean naval vessel this year. Beijing has played host to North Korean leader Kim Jong Il.

But if the plane proves to be a defecting North Korean military jet, it would likely heighten concerns about worsening conditions in the reclusive and possibly unstable country. Xinhua said China is communicating with North Korea about 'the issue.'

The crash took place midafternoon Tuesday in the northern Liaoning province county of Fushun, just outside the major city of Shenyang, known best as the site where communist military hero Lei Feng died in a 1962 accident.

The spot is about 250 kilometers (155 miles) north of Dandong, the major Chinese border crossing with North Korea.

A woman in Ersongguo village said she saw a plane around 2:45 p.m but didn't pay much attention until she heard a thud into the earth. She later saw smoke rising from the wreckage, which she and others said destroyed the small hut of an elderly couple surnamed Hong.

'I couldn't see the plane very clearly,' said another woman, surnamed Lu in Lagu village. 'I think it was an old plane.' Another villager said China's People's Armed Police were blocking access to the site.

The Yonhap news agency speculated the pilot may have been attempting to defect to Russia. It said radar images showed the plane took off from Sinuiju, just over the border from Dandong. Such a short distance would raise the possibility the pilot ran out of fuel.

Attempting a flight to Russia over China would be extremely risky, taking it near major cities, including Beijing, although it might be the quickest route out of North Korea.

Though defectors from North Korea into China are common, they are mostly civilians, not military. But North Korean pilots have used MiGs to defect at least three times previously, including in 1996, 1983 and 1953, flying each time to South Korea.

The North Korea Air Force has approximately 1,700 aircraft, including about 800 fighters, and nearly all of those are Soviet-era MiGs. Its last major upgrade was in the late 1980s before the breakup of the Soviet Union, a longtime sponsor of its military.

周二一架飞机在沈阳附近坠毁，机上唯一的飞行员死亡，报道说，这架飞机疑为朝鲜飞机。人们猜测可能是一名朝鲜战斗机飞行员逃离朝鲜。

Reuters周二在中国境内失事的飞机疑为一架朝鲜飞机，飞行员被疑为逃离朝鲜。中国官方媒体称飞行员当场死亡。官方媒体新华社周三援引“有关方面”的话说，前一天失事的飞机可能是一架朝鲜飞机，飞行员死亡，但除此未造成太大伤亡或损失。韩国联合通讯社(Yonhap)援引韩国情报部门的话说，飞机是朝鲜一架米格(MiG)战斗机，起飞后不久即坠毁。

网上流传的照片显示，一架带有已褪色朝鲜五角星军徽、疑为战斗机的飞机扎进了一处茂盛的玉米地，银色的机身上覆盖着木头、砖块和干草，尾翼受损。新华社援引其消息源的话说：“飞机坠落损毁了一座简易民房，飞行员当场死亡，但并未造成中方人员伤亡。”

这架飞机不太可能是朝鲜在挑衅中国，没人暗示它是被击落的。北京是朝鲜在全世界的第一大盟友，在以美国为首的多国声称平壤今年早前击沉韩国军舰“天安号”之际，中国为朝鲜提供了支持。北京曾款待朝鲜领导人金正日。

但如果事实证明这是一架出现了故障的朝鲜军机，那么人们对朝鲜局势恶化的担忧可能会骤然加剧。朝鲜是一个与世隔绝的国度，内部可能并不稳定。新华社说，中方正在就“此事”同朝方进行沟通。

坠机时间是在周二下午三点左右，地点位于辽宁省抚顺县，离大城市沈阳不远。雷锋1962年因一起事故身亡就在抚顺。

Reuters坠机地点在中国与朝鲜接壤的主要边境城市丹东以北约250公里处。

二松沟村一位妇女说，她在下午2点45分左右看见一架飞机，但没怎么在意，直到听到飞机与地面的撞击声。过后她看到失事残骸上腾起烟雾。她和其他人说，一对洪（音）姓老年夫妇所住的小窝棚遭到毁坏。

拉古村一位姓陆（音）的妇女说，那架飞机我看得不是很清楚。另一位村民说，武警已经封锁现场。

韩联社猜测，飞机可能是想逃往俄罗斯。它说，雷达图象显示，飞机是从朝方与丹东毗邻的新义州起飞的。如此短的距离即坠毁，可能是因为飞机燃油已经耗尽。

取道中国逃往俄罗斯，路程可能是最近的，但极为冒险，因为这样会接近北京等大城市。

虽然“脱北者”进入中国并不鲜见，但他们多为平民而非军人。不过在此前，至少有过三次朝鲜飞行员利用米格战机脱北的情况。这三次分别发生于1996年、1983年和1953年，每次都是飞往韩国。

朝鲜空军拥有大约1,700架飞机，其中约800架战斗机，几乎全部是苏联时代的米格战斗机。最近一次大规模升级是在20世纪80年代末期、苏联解体之前。苏联曾长期为朝鲜军队提供支持。