Soldiers hurt in training accident and explosion at Fort Bragg

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Thursday, September 14, 2017
Soldiers hurt in training accident and explosion at Fort Bragg
Soldiers hurt in training accident and explosion at Fort Bragg

FORT BRAGG, N.C. -- There has been an explosion during a training accident on post at Fort Bragg with multiple injuries.

Fort Bragg officials said eight soldiers were taken to Womack Army Medical Center and other area hospitals by air and ground.

The Army said students and instructors at the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School were doing demolition training on a Fort Bragg Range when it happened.

The soldiers are part of U.S. Army Special Operations Command (USASOC).

U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson, R-NC, whose 8th District includes Fort Bragg, released a statement following the incident.

"Renee and I are sorry to hear about today's training accident at Fort Bragg," Hudson said. "We will continue to pray for the soldiers who were injured and their families. As the investigation continues, I'm in touch with the U.S. Army Special Operations Command and I will continue to monitor the situation."

North Carolina's senators, Richard Burr and Thom Tillis, both tweeted thoughts and prayers for the injured soldiers.

The incident comes a day after a U.S. soldier was killed at Fort Hood, Texas, while conducting a medical evacuation hoist training in an HH-60M Black Hawk helicopter.

Also on Wednesday, a Marine Corps amphibious assault vehicle caught on fire during training at Camp Pendleton, California, injuring 15 Marines.

About 57,000 military personnel are attached to Fort Bragg, located next to Fayetteville, N.C. It is the largest Army installation by population and covers about 161,000 acres. The Special Operations Command has about 23,000 soldiers spread over several sites.

ABC News contributed to this report

The Associated Press contributed to this report