Twelve Vietnamese soldiers die in an explosion during a combat drill in the south of the country

MADRID Dec. 5 (EUROPA PRESS) –

Twelve soldiers of the Vietnamese Army have died in an explosion that occurred during a combat drill in the province of Dong Nai, in the south of the country, the Ministry of Defense reported this Wednesday.

The incident took place on Monday at around 8:27 p.m. (local time) at a shooting range, while the troops were carrying out a “defensive combat exercise in extreme weather conditions and complex terrain,” the Ministry explained in its account. of the social network Facebook.

The explosion occurred while troops were transporting explosive devices in the midst of heavy rain and thunderstorms. The initial cause, the Ministry has determined, was the impact of lightning on an electrical detonator, which caused the activation of the explosives, “killing many soldiers.”

“A total of 12 staff members were reported missing; most of the bodies have been recovered, but search efforts continue,” the agency reported on what it described as “an immeasurable loss for the unit. families and comrades”.