Amphibious Tank Catches Fire, Leaves 15 Marines Injured At Camp Pendleton
CAMP PENDLETON (CBSLA.com) – A seafaring tank caught fire during a training exercise Wednesday that left 15 Marines injured at Camp Pendleton, according to military officials.
The accident came around 9:30 a.m. when an "amphibious landing vehicle" was involved in an accident on the base north of San Diego during battalion training, according to a news release from 1st Marine Division Public Affairs.
The Orange County Fire Authority, meanwhile, told CBS2 it responded to reports that a truck had overturned and several Marines possibly trapped. The exact circumstances of the wreck were not immediately known.
Two Marines were airlifted to UCI Medical Center with major burn injuries. Four were taken to UCI in all. Two, the ones presumably airlifted, remain in critical condition.
KCAL9's Stacey Butler said that at least nine of the Marines were taken to nearby hospitals.
At press time, three of the men were in critical condition, five were reported to be in serious condition. One of the men was in stable condition,
Two other Marines had minor injuries and were being evaluated and treated at other hospitals.
The injured include members of the 1st Battalion, the 1st Marines infantry unit and 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion.
The Marines were in the middle of a combat readiness evaluation.The session was part of a scheduled training when one of the vehicles caught fire.
The large vehicles are used to bring combat troops ashore from larger naval vessels that are out to see.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the Marines said, "Our thoughts and prayers are with the Marines and their families as they receive medical care."
