3 Soldiers Die When Explosive Charge Ignites Prematurely

An explosive charge used to clear mine fields blew up prematurely during a training exercise Friday, killing three soldiers, a Ft. Carson Army Post spokeswoman said.

The names of the victims were being withheld until relatives could be notified, Spec. 4 Kim Hoppens of the Ft. Carson public affairs office said.

The accident occurred at the Ft. Carson Training Maneuver Area on the south end of the Army post, which is south of Colorado Springs.

The victims were participating in an exercise in which an explosive charge is detonated to clear a four-foot path through an imaginary mine field when the explosive went off prematurely, Hoppens said.

Ft. Carson safety officers were investigating the deaths, she said.