 have been killed and a fourth injured following an accidental explosion during a training exercise in Oita Prefecture, southwestern Japan.){kind=link}
21st April 2026 – (Oita) Three members of Japan’s Ground Self‑Defense Force (GSDF) have been killed and a fourth injured following an accidental explosion during a training exercise in Oita Prefecture, southwestern Japan. The incident occurred at approximately 8.40am on Tuesday at the GSDF’s Hijudai training range, where troops were conducting a tank drill. According to the GSDF, a shell detonated unexpectedly before it had been fired.
Emergency services were dispatched to the scene. Local fire authorities said the injured serviceman sustained burns to his face but remained conscious.
Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi described the incident as “extremely regrettable” when speaking to reporters at the National Diet in Tokyo. He said the ministry was working to establish the precise circumstances and cause of the blast and pledged that comprehensive safety measures would be enforced.