Four Taiwan Army soldiers were injured after accidentally firing a portable anti-tank weapon during live-fire tests carried out on Tuesday in Hsinchu, in the north of the island.
The soldiers affected by the mishap, which occurred at the Army North Testing Center in Hukou, were transferred to nearby hospitals and medical units.
The statement from the command in charge of the tests, which were suspended after the incident, highlighted that two soldiers received injuries to the ear and arm, while the remaining pair were treated for minor abrasions, the CNA news agency reported.
The command said it was cooperating with a special team to investigate the cause of the accident, adding that it would continue developing ammunition identification processes and risk prevention education.
These types of accidents have been frequent in recent years within the different maneuvers and exercises carried out by the island’s defense forces.
Last June, a Taiwanese Army multiple launch rocket system exploded during a live-fire combat drill in the southeast of the island, leaving no deaths or injuries.
Since 2020, according to CNA, there have been seven plane and helicopter accidents of the island’s air force that caused the death of thirteen soldiers, the last one on May 31.