Experts dismiss lightning as cause of fatal explosion during Vietnam military drills

Read a version of this story in Vietnamese

Military experts have dismissed initial findings from Vietnam’s government that a lightning strike was the cause of an explosion that killed 12 soldiers during a training exercise earlier this week, saying human error is likely to blame.

The blast took place on Monday at a military shooting range as soldiers transported explosives amid heavy rain and thunder in the 7th Military Region in southern Vietnam’s Dong Nai province, according to a report by the official Vietnam News Agency.

Initial findings indicate that lightning struck an electric detonator, causing it to detonate the explosives, the agency reported.

However, RFA spoke with two military experts who raised doubts about the stated cause of the explosion and called for accountability from the military leaders involved.

Vu Minh Tri, a former officer of the General Department of Military Intelligence and an engineer specializing in firearms and cannons at the Military Technical Academy, noted that military regulations on safety and fire prevention “are very rigorous.”

He said that while the military attributed the incident to external causes, “most mistakes are rooted in human error or internal factors.”

But he added that, given the large number of casualties, even if the lightning strike explanation was true, “it’s still necessary to prosecute relevant commanders.”

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Lieutenant Le Van Thuong, former deputy company commander of Company 1, Corps 3 of the Vietnam People’s Army, who is now retired, said that Military Region 7’s initial explanation for the incident was “completely fabricated” to hide weaknesses in the military.

He told RFA that the standard procedure for transporting explosive materials is to “separate explosives and detonators,” which are “only assembled during drills or operations.”

Thuong noted that all ammunition, explosives, and detonators are “meticulously packaged, batch-numbered, and stored securely in pinewood pallets.”

“When transporting ammunition or explosives to a battlefield, the military uses specialized vehicles covered with thick canvas tarps,” he said. “Canvas isn’t an electrical conductor and doesn’t attract lightning, so lightning can’t strike the vehicle directly. Furthermore, the explosives themselves do not attract lightning.”

Based on his experience, he believed the real cause of the explosion was likely the improper loading of explosives into the storage area combined with unsafe handling, which resulted in the detonation of an entire stockpile while soldiers were present.

Opening ceremony

According to Vietnam News Agency reporting on the incident, authorities had found most of the victims’ bodies and were continuing a search on Wednesday.

State media reported on the incident on Wednesday evening after news of the explosion had already spread on social media.

The People’s Army Newspaper said the opening ceremony of the military exercise took place on Sunday and was attended by Minister of Defense Phan Van Giang.

Giang oversaw and delivered the opening speech at the ceremony. Gen. Nguyen Tan Cuong, the chief of General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army and the country’s vice minister of defense, was also present.

Also in attendance were leaders of general departments and agencies of the Ministry of National Defense as well as representatives from other military regions, military branches and academies, the newspaper reported on Monday.

The exercise was conducted to test combat readiness and practice defensive operations, the newspaper reported.

Translated by Anna Vu. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Malcolm Foster.