MANDALAY—Eleven police were injured in an explosion during a landmine detection techniques and clearing training at Mandalay Region Police Station on Tuesday.
A police source from the station confirmed that a police sergeant was seriously injured on his left ankle and ten others sustained minor injuries.
Brig-Gen Zaw Min Tun, secretary and spokesperson of the military’s Tatmadaw True News Information Team, confirmed the incident to The Irrawaddy and said the training was conducted by a technician from the military.
“We heard that the trainer mistakenly brought a real landmine with the training sample landmines and that a trainee stepped on it and it exploded,” said Brig-Gen Zaw Min Tun.
The training was conducted to teach police officers in Mandalay Region about mine and landmine safety, detection and the different types of mines.
As part of the training, the police sergeant was supposed to step on a sample M14 plastic landmine while other trainees disarm the landmine and save him.
Brig-Gen Zaw Min Tun said the injured police were sent to Mandalay General Hospital for medical treatment and the incident is under investigation.
“Normally, real landmines and samples are differentiated by color, however there can be mistakes. We are doing further investigations on this incident,” he said.
According to the police source, the police sergeant who stepped on the M14 landmine during the training section was badly injured on his left ankle and could face a long-term walking impairment.
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