An extinguishing system inside an assault vehicle accidentally set off an explosion during a training exercise at a Southern California Marine Base on Thursday evening, exposing more than 20 Marines to fire-retardant gas.
Twenty Marines, from a Hawaii base, suffered inhalation-related injuries after the field training accident occurred on the desert base in Twentynine Palms on Thursday, military officials said. By Friday morning, an official with the base confirmed that none of the injured victims, consisting of Marines and sailors of 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, had died and that all were in stable condition, NBC San Diego reported.
"Marines said all injured who required hospitalization are in stable condition," Jennifer Hlad of Stars & Stripes tweeted.
On Thursday afternoon, an Integrated Training Exercise was taking place when the fire extinguisher in an Assault Amphibious Vehicle, which carries troops from ships to shore, accidentally discharged at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms, a desk sergeant at the base said. Following the equipment malfunction, there was a release of halon.
Although there was no fire of explosion, the Marines were inside the amphibious assault vehicle at the time of the incident, which immediately exposed them to the gas, according to New York Daily News.
After being rushed to a base hospital for treatment, the Marines were kept overnight for observation, Base spokesman Dave Marks said, adding that while some needed to spend another night at the hospital, a few others had recovered and returned to training.
The base did not request any help from San Bernardino County fire, a county spokesman said.
Back in January, two Marine Corp officers were killed in a helicopter crash at the base.
Meanwhile the Twentynine Palms Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, 130 miles east of Los Angeles, is located outside the city of the same name in southern San Bernardino County, Calif. It is the largest Marine training base in the world, The Huffington Post reported.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.