Tank Collision During Joint Military Exercise in Australia Results in Injuries to 12 Singaporean Soldiers
Singaporean and Australian forces are currently engaged in joint operations at Shoalwater Bay for Exercise Wallaby.
During a military exercise, twelve army personnel from the Singapore Armed Forces were injured in a freak accident when two tanks collided. Fortunately, no Australian Defence Force personnel were harmed in the incident.
A Singapore Defence spokesperson stated that the accident occurred at around 7.40 p.m. when a Hunter Armoured Fighting Vehicle rear-ended another vehicle while returning to base at Shoalwater Bay Training Area in Queensland, Australia.
“Twelve SAF servicemen sustained non-serious injuries and have been taken to the hospital for treatment,” the spokesperson confirmed.
Singaporean and Australian armed forces are currently participating in joint operations at the Shoalwater Bay training area as part of Exercise Wallaby. The exercise involves 6,200 personnel, 490 vehicles, and various other equipment, and will continue until Nov. 3.
This year marks the 34th anniversary of Exercise Wallaby, which commenced in 1990.
Following the incident, the Army implemented a safety pause to remind drivers of the importance of maintaining proper distances while operating vehicles.
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A Queensland Ambulance spokesperson reported that paramedics responded to the incident at Rockhampton Airport, where multiple injured individuals were airlifted by a military Chinook helicopter just before 8.30 p.m.
Out of the 12 injured individuals, 10 were taken to Rockhampton Hospital and were in stable condition with minor injuries. One patient with more severe injuries was transported to the hospital by another military helicopter.
In a past incident during the 2017 Exercise Wallaby, three SAF personnel were injured due to a vehicle malfunction, highlighting concerns about equipment safety.
A study conducted by the National Library of Medicine on military recruits during basic training revealed that 31.9 percent of recruits sustained injuries over a 9-week period, with overuse injuries accounting for 86.4 percent of these cases.
The study identified heavy marching as a leading cause of these injuries, consuming more than 77 percent of training time.
AAP contributed to this article.
