2 soldiers injured in 2nd training incident at Hobart Camp

PETALING JAYA: The training camp in Gurun, Kedah, that was the site of a fatal grenade explosion earlier this month has recorded a second incident, with two soldiers injured after a firearm exploded during a training exercise.

According to Utusan Malaysia, the incident occurred at Hobart Camp at about 6pm yesterday during weapons training, believed to be caused by a technical malfunction.

A 35-year-old corporal who is also an instructor and a 29-year-old sergeant suffered knee injuries after the firearm they were handling exploded.

The instructor suffered an injury to his right knee and required eight stitches, while the sergeant is being treated at Sultan Abdul Halim Hospital in Sungai Petani for suspected nerve damage to his left knee.

Kedah police chief Adzli Abu Shah said initial investigations showed the injuries were caused by debris or foreign objects propelled during the explosion and not from live ammunition.

“After safety procedures were carried out, including unloading and laying down the weapon, an explosion occurred,” he was quoted as saying at a press conference today.

“Doctors also confirmed the injuries were consistent with impact from foreign objects and not gunfire.”

Adzli said initial checks found that the regulator component in the weapon’s gas system had come loose, but the exact cause is still being determined.

He said the police forensic teams and the armed forces’ weapons specialists have been deployed to the site to carry out detailed investigations.

“Although it is believed to be a technical issue and not due to negligence or gunfire, we have opened an investigation under Section 37 of the Firearms Act to determine the exact cause,” he said.

The latest incident comes two weeks after two soldiers were killed in a grenade-throwing exercise during training at the same camp.

Adzli said the earlier case had been classified as sudden death and that the army is conducting its own detailed investigation.

He said the current training exercise involved about 300 military personnel from Bukit Cawder Camp in Perlis.