This is a developing story, check back for more information.
At least 15 soldiers have been injured and three people have died in an explosion between 10 and 11am today during a training exercise at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The injured have been transported to the Womack Army Medical Center at Fort Bragg for treatment.
“What exactly happened is under investigation,” Lieutenant Colonel Rob Bockholt, a base spokesman, stated. “The number of those injured has yet to be determined.”
The injured soldiers are members of the U.S. Army Special Operations Command, WRAL reported. The cause of the explosion and information on their condition were not immediately known.
A witness waiting to be treated for an unrelated case described the scene, saying “Immediately you could see doctors, nurses and medics rushing with gurneys and equipment to prepare. It was choreographed perfection, I am glad those guys were there.”
Special forces engineer sergeants are specialists across a wide range of disciplines, from demolitions and constructions of field fortifications to topographic survey techniques. Part of their training is learning how to use, deploy and manufacture several different types of military grade, commercial and homemade explosives.
The incident at Fort Bragg is following a vehicle fire at Camp Pendleton in California left 15 Marines injured — eight of them in the burn unit — during a training exercise accident.
USASOC is looking into an incident on Fort Bragg that incurred 8 injuries. The details of what happened are currently under investigation.
— USASOC (@USASOCNews) September 14, 2017
The incident at Fort Bragg comes just a day after a vehicle fire at Camp Pendleton in California left 15 Marines injured — eight of them in the burn unit — following a training exercise accident. Five still remain in critical condition.
More than 50,000 active duty personnel are attached to Fort Bragg, located in Fayetteville, N.C. It is the largest Army installation by population and covers about 161,000 acres. The Special Operations Command has about 23,000 soldiers spread over several sites.