3 GSDF Members Killed by Shell Explosion inside Tank

Tokyo, April 21 (Jiji Press)--Three Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force members died in an accident Tuesday during a live-fire drill at the Hijudai training area in the southwestern prefecture of Oita.

At around 8:40 a.m., a shell exploded inside a state-of-the-art Type 10 tank, killing three crew members--Sgt. 1st Class Kentaro Hamabe, 45, Sgt. Shingo Takayama, 31, and Sgt. Kozo Kanai, 30. Hamabe was a tank commander, Takayama a gunner and Kanai a safety officer, according to the GSDF.

Another GSDF member, a tank driver, was seriously injured and taken to a hospital.

No damage has been confirmed outside the training range.

At a press conference after the accident, GSDF Chief of Staff Gen. Masayoshi Arai said that a 120-millimeter anti-tank shell exploded inside the tank's turret. The three victims were inside the turret at the time, while the injured member was in the tank's hull.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]