A morning exercise for a 1st Marine Division Amphibious Assault Vehicle crew turned frightening Tuesday morning when their craft burst into flames, sending them scrambling to escape it, Business Insider reported Sep. 13.
Fifteen Marines, all of Charlie Co., 1st Battalion, 1st Marines, were treated for burns, and three were taken to local hospitals for smoke inhalation, according to Business Insider.
https://twitter.com/PaulSzoldra/status/908046628061192192
The AAV crew had been participating in a combat readiness evaluation around 9:30 local time when the fire broke out, a Marine Corps spokesman told Military.com.
The cause of the blaze was not yet known, though similar incidents are not unheard of. In 2013, a corporal was killed and four of his crewmates were hurt in an AAV fire caused by igniting ordnance; that incident led the Marine Corps to discontinue use of the AAV’s Mark 154 mine-clearance launching system.
An updated version of the launcher with additional safeguards was rolled out by the service last month.
WATCH MORE: