Lohatlha: Gun just repaired
2007-10-16 16:43
Cape Town - The accident at the SA National Defence Force's Lohatlha training grounds last week happened immediately after technicians had finished repairing the weapon, a Mark V twin-barrelled 35mm gun, Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota said in the National Assembly.
A one-eighth of a second burst of explosive shells from the barrel of the anti-aircraft gun killed nine soldiers and injured 15 others, MPs heard on Tuesday.
Explaining the circumstances around the incident, which happened last Friday, Lekota said the training exercise had involved eight guns positioned 20 metres apart in a line facing north.
The day was the first on which the soldiers involved had used "live" ammunition in a training exercise.
The ground targets being fired at were located between 1 500m and 2 000m away.
Each gun had a crew of four. The gun on which the incident occurred was the one on the far right, at the east end of the line.
"As all guns commenced firing, the gun on the far right... had a stoppage. This is something that happens from time to time.
Gun swung to the left
"Technicians repaired this gun, while all the other guns continued firing. This is a very normal drill.
"As they continued firing, after the gun was fixed, it swung
completely to the left, and one barrel fired off a burst of 15 to 20 shots in one-eighth of a second.
"The... gun immediately to the left was hit.
"This fatal burst then killed or injured members of all the guns to the left. The effect was therefore that all of those killed or injured (were hit) from the right and lost right hands, or right legs, or lost their lives."
He confirmed the total number killed was nine, and 15 injured.
Lekota said the eight guns had been used the day before, "and each one had successfully fired between 500 and 800 rounds each".
On manual firing mode
He further explained the guns could be set on either "manual or electric firing mode".
On the Friday, they had all been set on manual. This meant they were sighted on the target, and the barrel then clamped into position "so that the barrel should not move from side to side".
"When firing in electric mode, safety boundaries are computerised and the barrels are not clamped, but move within the boundaries set in advance."
Lekota said care was always taken within the SANDF to avoid accidents, and he offered his condolences to the families of those killed and injured.
Full military funerals
He said the soldiers killed would each receive full military funerals.
An investigation into the accident was being carried out by the SA Police Service and forensic experts.
Furthermore, the Defence Force itself was to hold a board of inquiry into the incident. This would be chaired by two retired generals.
The results of this inquiry would be made public as soon as possible.
Lekota appealed to the media not to speculate on the causes of the accident and called on the families of those involved to ignore any speculation until the inquiry was completed.
After his statement, the House rose and observed a moment of silence for those killed.
- SAPA