An accidental explosion during a training exercise at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, on Thursday morning left seven members of US Army Special Operations Command injured and one dead.
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US Army Special Operations soldiers reportedly injured in explosion at Fort Bragg
Eight soldiers were reportedly injured in an explosion during a training exercise at Fort Bragg.
US Army Special Operations Command said in a statement that eight personnel were injured in "a demolitions training incident involving students and cadre at the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School" on a range at Fort Bragg.
The explosion reportedly occurred during a homemade-explosive familiarization exercise, according to Sofrep.
Initial reports suggested four soldiers had been killed in the incident, but Army officials said later on Thursday that only soldier, Staff Sgt. Alexander Dalida, had died.
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Dalida was a student in the Special Forces Engineer Course, the military occupational-specialty phase of the Special Forces Qualification Course, according to local ABC affiliate WTVD.
Authorities said earlier on Thursday that the injured soldiers were transported to several hospitals, including the base's Womack Army Medical Center, after an explosion on one of the training fields at the base, according to WRAL.
"There was an incident that occurred on one of the ranges," Special Operations Command spokesman
"There are injuries but we don't know the extent," Bockholt told Fox News.
The incident comes a day after an amphibious assault vehicle carrying 15 Marines burst into flames during a Combat Readiness Evaluation exercise at Camp Pendleton in California. All of the Marines were able to escape the vehicle and were taken to hospitals for treatment. Five were listed in critical condition and another five were listed as serious.
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Fort Bragg is home to about 57,000 active-duty personnel, making it the largest Army base in the world by population. The base is also home to Army Airborne and Special Operations Forces, the latter of which has about 23,000 troops stationed at several sites there.
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