Seven US Marines training for Afghanistan died Monday night when a 60mm mortar shell exploded prematurely at Hawthorne Army Depot in Western Nevada,about 120 miles from Reno and just east of Toiyabe National Forest.Mountain peaks in the area are from 9-11,000 feet in elevation.
Another seven service members,including a US Navy corpsman and six other Marines,were wounded in the blast.They have penetrating trauma,fractures and vascular injuries.Two Marines and the Sailor are in very serious condition,while three Marines are in serious condition and another has minor injuries.
In response to the incident,all 60mm mortar rounds and tubes have been withdrawn from both training and combat operations in Afghanistan.The 60mm is the smallest mortar the Marines use.It can fire up to 30 rounds per minute and is manned by one to three individuals,depending on firing mode.
Hawthorne Army Depot consists of 147,000 acres with more than 2,000 bunkers and harsh terrain.It is used for storing ammunition and weapons stocks awaiting demilitarisation,and also provides high desert training facilities for service members.
The Marines are part of II Marine Expeditionary Force,2nd Marine Division,based at Fort LeJeune,North Carolina.They had been training for about a month with live ammo at Hawthorne and the nearby Marine Mountain Warfare Training Center in Bridgeport,California.
President Barack Obama and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel were immediately informed of the incident,which is under investigation.About a year ago,seven other Marines were killed when two helicopters collided near the California-Arizona border.
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