Navy probes marine's burning death

Navy probes marine's burning death

JAKARTA: The Navy is investigating the recent burning to death
of a marine during an Indonesia Military (TNI) show in South
Sulawesi.

The investigation will focus on the smoke grenade that caused
the soldier's camouflage outfit to catch fire.

Marine Corps Commander Maj. Gen. Ahmad Rivai said on Thursday
that investigators were currently focusing on the smoke grenade.

"A smoke grenade is not supposed to produce flames. We want to
know how it set fire to the stage and the marine," he told
reporters at TNI headquarters in Cilangkap, East Jakarta.

Rivai hoped that the investigation would prevent similar
accidents in the future.

Second Sgt. Hery Wahyudi died on Tuesday of severe burns. The
23-year-old marine's camouflage outfit caught fire while he was
taking part in a mock raid to mark the 58th celebration of the
TNI in the South Sulawesi capital of Makassar two days earlier.

He was one of a number of Army soldiers and marines taking
part in the mock raid on a Free Aceh Movement (GAM) hideout.

The raid, according to the scenario, was to be preceded by the
lobbing of a smoke grenade at the target before the attack was
launched. However, flames from the grenade set fire to Hery's
camouflage gear.

No fire extinguishers or water were available to put out the
flames and, despite their military training, the dozens of
soldiers and marines at the scene appeared completely at a loss
to know what to do. -- JP