Bangladesh Tank Accident Kills Two Soldiers
PHOTO CAPTION: A Bangladesh Army T-59G Durjoy main battle tank. Two Bangladesh Army soldiers were killed Sept. 9 in an accident while firing from a tank during a training exercise. The Army has not identified the model involved in the accident. (Photo: Shadman Samee/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0)
Two Bangladesh Army soldiers were killed and an officer seriously injured Wednesday after an accident involving a tank during a field firing exercise.
The accident occurred Sept. 9 at the Hathazari Field Firing Range in Chattogram while troops were firing from a tank, according to Bangladesh’s Inter-Services Public Relations Directorate.
Military officials have not publicly identified the two soldiers who died or the injured officer.
The seriously injured officer was being transported by helicopter to the Combined Military Hospital in Dhaka for advanced treatment following the accident.
The Bangladesh Army has not yet explained exactly what went wrong.
Officials said an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the accident, but the military’s initial statement provided few technical details beyond saying it happened as rounds were being fired from a tank during the exercise.
Some subsequent media reports have identified the vehicle as a Chinese-origin Type 59 and described the incident as an explosion. However, Bangladesh’s official military statement has not confirmed either the tank model or that characterization of the accident.
Until investigators release additional information, it remains unclear whether the accident involved the tank itself, ammunition, the firing procedure or another failure during the exercise.
The Hathazari Field Firing Range is used by the Bangladesh Army for live-fire training.
Wednesday’s accident left two soldiers dead, one officer seriously wounded and investigators trying to determine what caused a routine training exercise to turn fatal.
Sources: Bangladesh Inter-Services Public Relations Directorate; Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha; bdnews24
(Source: OAF Nation)
