(LEAD) 3 dead, 1 seriously injured in collision, crash of 2 Air Force trainer jets

(ATTN: REWRITES headline, lead; UPDATES with more details throughout)

SACHEON, South Korea, April 1 (Yonhap) -- Two Air Force KT-1 trainer jets collided in midair and crashed in southern South Korea on Friday, leaving three pilots dead and another seriously injured, officials said.

The jets crashed in a rice paddy in Sacheon, about 300 km south of Seoul, at 1:36 p.m. after colliding with each other in midair, officials said.

Over 30 firefighters and emergency responders were dispatched to the crash site.
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