WDBJ7 Roanoke News and Weather NRV Lynchburg Danville | UPDATED: Explosion at Fort Pickett sends 14 to hospitals
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Soldiers return to duty after explosion at Fort Pickett
BLACKSTONE, Va. (AP) -- Thirteen Virginia National Guard soldiers sent to hospitals after a training device exploded at Fort Pickett are back on duty.
Maj. Cotton Puryear says a soldier closest to the blast remains hospitalized with second-degree burns and small lacerations to her hand. The soldier, who wasn't identified, was in stable condition Thursday and is expected to make a full recovery.
Puryear says a small pyrotechnic device used for training exploded Wednesday night in a building while soldiers were inventorying training materials. The device simulates the sound of explosions.
The other soldiers were sent to hospitals in the region as a precaution. They were treated and released.
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BLACKSTONE, Va. (AP) -- A pyrotechnic device used in training exercises exploded at Fort Pickett, sending 14 Virginia National Guard soldiers to hospitals, most as a precautionary measure.
Maj. Cotton Puryear says a small "flash-bang" device used to simulate the sounds of explosions exploded Wednesday night in a training building while soldiers were going through materials to be used for training. He didn't identify the type of device and it was unclear whether it malfunctioned.
A soldier closest to the blast suffered third-degree burns and cuts and was taken to Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center in Richmond. Puryear said her injuries weren't believed to be life-threatening. The other 13 soldiers were taken to hospitals as a precaution, mainly for ringing in their ears.
