Twelve Vietnamese Soldiers Killed in Explosion During Military Exercise

ho chi minh city - Twelve Vietnamese soldiers lost their lives during a military exercise in southern Vietnam due to an accidental explosion caused by a lightning strike hitting a detonator.

Twelve Vietnamese soldiers have tragically lost their lives during a military exercise in the southern part of Vietnam, as reported by state media on Thursday. The group was in the process of relocating explosives when a lightning strike hit a detonator, triggering the explosion, according to a local newspaper.

The explosion occurred on Monday evening at a military firing range in the Dong Nai region, an industrial hub in the south. Just a day earlier, Defense Minister Phan Van Giang had delivered a speech marking the beginning of the combat exercise, as reported by the state newspaper Nhan Dan.

Fatal accidents during military drills are rare in the communist country. The Ministry of Defense has launched an investigation into the incident.