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Tank trouble for Norway
Two Norwegian soldiers in the Telemark Battalion are dead after their tank went through the ice and into a bog during the military exercise Cold ResponseThe removal of 'snowshoes' to avoid ruining roads may have been a contributing factor to the accident that claimed two lives during the military exercise Cold Response. "Our investigations show that the tank slid sideways down into the ice-covered pool," said Kjell Rambøl of the Narvik police. The tank apparently had one tread on land and the other on ice, and Rambøl confirmed that how the tank was shod is being checked now. Pictures from the rescue action show that the tank that entered the water did not have ice crampons on its treads. When Aftenposten visited Cold Response before the accident last week, the crampons were being laboriously removed with crowbars and sledgehammers in order to move the vehicles without damaging the roads. A few days later the accident occurred. The preliminary autopsy report indicates that the soldiers died of drowning," Monica Samland Johansen, lawyer with the Midtre Hålogaland police, told news agency ANB. The two who succumbed were inside the tank, the survivors were in the turret. Major Christian Chramer of the sixth division confirmed that the crew had training in evacuation procedures in case of a crash in water. Breathing equipment was mounted by the driver and the crew had rehearsed evacuation in an underwater simulator. Police also said their technical investigations show that there was nothing wrong with the tank, but the military investigation was continuing, with a focus on the lack of 'snowshoes' on the vehicle. Rest well, and give our regards to Odin. Posted by: Seafarious 2006-03-23 |
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