S'pore soldiers killed in NZ

S'pore soldiers killed in NZ

WELLINGTON (Reuter): Two Singaporean soldiers were killed and 12 soldiers were injured yesterday when an artillery shell exploded prematurely during a training exercise in New Zealand, an army spokesman said.

It was the second fatal accident in just over two weeks involving Singaporean soldiers at the central North Island army training base of Waiouru.

Eleven of the injured in yesterday's explosion were Singaporeans and one a New Zealander, who was slightly hurt.

"There was an accident at a Singapore gun position. The Singaporeans sustained 13 casualties including two fatalities," New Zealand army spokesman Maj. Steven French said.

In Singapore, meanwhile, the Defense Ministry said it would send a team of weapons experts to New Zealand yesterday to investigate the deaths. Singaporean soldiers regularly train in New Zealand because of the shortage of facilities and space in the city-state.