A second soldier injured in an incident involving a tank at a military firing range in Pembrokeshire has died.

The soldier was one of four who were hurt on Wednesday afternoon in an area used for tank training exercises by the Royal Armoured Corps.

The first victim passed away this morning.

Both were from the Royal Tank Regiment and were injured at Castlemartin on Wednesday afternoon, Defence Minister Tobias Ellwood said.

Two people are still being treated for their injuries.

Mr Ellwood said: ‘It is with great sorrow I can confirm the death of a second soldier from the Royal Tank Regiment following yesterday’s incident at Castlemartin Ranges.’

Castlemartin is the only UK Army range available for armoured units for direct-fire live gunnery exercises.

The incident on Wednesday comes five years after a 21-year-old soldier died at Castlemartin when he was shot in the head while relaxing at a safe location just outside the training range.

A 2013 inquest into the death of Michael ‘Mike’ Maguire heard he was hit in the temple by a single bullet after live machine gun fire was wrongly directed inland towards the safe haven he was in.

The inquest jury ruled Ranger Maguire, who was a member of the 1st Battalion, The Royal Irish Regiment, had been unlawfully killed. </s> A soldier has been killed and three injured when a shell exploded in their tank during a "live fire" exercise in Wales, it was announced today.

The soldier from the Royal Tank Regiment - the oldest tank force in the world - died during the training at Castlemartin, Pembrokeshire.

It is believed that a round exploded in a tank's turret causing the vehicle to explode at the only UK Army range used for direct-fire live gunnery exercises.

The soldier, who hasn't been named, was airlifted to hospital but later died. Three other soldiers were injured but their condition was not revealed by the Ministry of Defence.

The tragedy happened on Wednseday at the planned "live fire" exercise in the Challenger 2 tank used by the British Military in Bosnia, Kosova and Iraq.

Tobias Ellwood, Minister for People and Veterans, said: "It is with deep sadness that I can confirm the death of a soldier from the Royal Tank Regiment who died as a result of injuries sustained in an incident at Castlemartin ranges.

"His next of kin were by his bedside and we will be respecting their privacy before further details are released.

"Three other soldiers have also been wounded and our thoughts remain with the friends and families of all those involved.

"The safety of our personal is our absolute priority and a full investigation is underway to understand the details of this tragic incident."

Castlemartin - a 5,900 acre site operating since 1938 - was due to carry out training from Monday to Friday.

The Welsh Ambulance Service and Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service were called to the scene just before 3.30pm.

A police spokesman said: "Dyfed-Powys Police were called to an incident at MOD Royal Armoured Corps range in Castlemartin range at 3.30pm.

"This is being investigated and a further update will be provided when appropriate."

The training base hit the headlines in 2012 when Ranger Michael Maguire, 21, died when he was hit by a single machine gun bullet.

An inquest into his death heard he was hit in the temple by the bullet fired by a fellow soldier on a live fire exercise.

The fatal bullet was fired 0.6 miles away inland towards another group of recruits.

The inquest heard all live fire should have been safely aimed out to sea. </s> Image copyright Wales News Service Image caption Live firing was due to take place at the range from Monday to Friday

A soldier has been killed and three others injured after an incident involving a tank at a Ministry of Defence base in Pembrokeshire.

The Royal Tank Regiment soldier died on Thursday after being injured at Castlemartin Range on Wednesday.

BBC Wales understands that the incident involved ammunition.

Minister for People and Veterans, Tobias Ellwood, said the soldier died with his family "by his bedside".

BBC Wales understands the soldier died at Morriston Hospital.

Three seriously injured soldiers have been taken to hospitals in Swansea, Cardiff and Birmingham.

One injured soldier is in Morriston Hospital, Swansea, another at University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, and the third was taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, which has a dedicated wing for treating injured service personnel.

The MoD, Dyfed-Powys Police and the Health and Safety Executive are investigating the incident.

Image copyright Wales News Service

Mr Ellwood said: "It is with deep sadness that I can confirm the death of a soldier from the Royal Tank Regiment who died as a result of injuries sustained in an incident at Castlemartin Range.

"His next of kin were by his bedside and we will be respecting their privacy before further details are released.

"Three other soldiers have also been wounded and our thoughts remain with the friends and families of all those involved.

"The safety of our personnel is our absolute priority and a full investigation is under way to understand the details of this tragic incident."

On the camp flags have been lowered to half mast.

The MoD has suspended tank live firing as a precaution following the incident.

The Army's website said the regiment was "preparing for a live fire exercise at Castlemartin in Wales" which was scheduled to take place at the range between Monday and Friday.

The range, opened by the War Office in 1938, covers 5,900 acres on the south Pembrokeshire coast.

In May 2012, Ranger Michael Maguire died during a live firing exercise at the training base. An inquest later found he was unlawfully killed.

The 1st and 2nd Royal Tank Regiments merged in August 2014 to form The Royal Tank Regiment, which is based in Tidworth, Wiltshire. </s> One of the soldiers injured in an incident at a firing range in Pembrokeshire has died.

Defence minister Tobias Ellwood said: "It is with deep sadness that I can confirm the death of a soldier from the Royal Tank Regiment who died as a result of injuries sustained in an incident at Castlemartin Ranges.

"His next of kin were by his bedside."

The soldier was one of four who were hurt on Wednesday afternoon in an area used for tank training exercises by the Royal Armoured Corps.

Mr Ellwood said: "The safety of our personnel is our absolute priority and a full investigation is under way to understand the details of this tragic accident."

Castlemartin is the only UK Army range available for armoured units for direct-fire live gunnery exercises.

The incident in Wednesday comes five years after a 21-year-old soldier died at Castlemartin when he was shot in the head while relaxing at a safe location just outside the training range.

A 2013 inquest into the death of Michael "Mike" Maguire heard he was hit in the temple by a single bullet after live machine gun fire was wrongly directed inland towards the safe haven he was in.

The inquest jury ruled Ranger Maguire, who was a member of the 1st Battalion, The Royal Irish Regiment, had been unlawfully killed.

A statement from the Royal Tank Regiment, which is the oldest tank unit in the world, according to its website, said its investigations were ongoing.

It said: "Our thoughts are with the friends and families of all those involved."

The Regiment, which updates followers on its Facebook and Twitter pages, was formed at around the time of the First World War and had 25 battalions fighting across the world during the Second World War.

It has deployed on all major conflicts since then and today, the Royal Tank Regiment, based in Tidworth, Wiltshire, consists of three squadrons - Ajax, Badger and Cyclops - each equipped with 18 Challenger 2 battle tanks, the Regiment's MoD website says.

On June 7, the Regiment, whose motto is "fear naught", posted on its Facebook page saying the Badger squadron had arrived in Castlemartin for its annual firing period.

"Stay tuned for more photos and videos of the awesome firepower of the Challenger 2," the post continued.

On June 11, an update showed a video of a tank firing on the West Wales range.

The accompanying post said: "FIRING! Here a crew from BADGER take on a tank target in Castlemartin. FEAR NAUGHT."

A spokeswoman from Dyfed-Powys Police said of the four men were injured, two were conveyed to Morriston Hospital, Swansea, one to the Heath Hospital in Cardiff and another to a hospital in Birmingham by air ambulance.

She said: "Tragically, we can confirm the incident has resulted in the death of one of the men this morning, and the other three are in a serious condition in hospital.

"All next of kin of those injured have been informed, and are being supported.

"Our thoughts are with them.

"Dyfed-Powys Police has launched an investigation and is working closely with partners, and in particular the Health and Safety Executive and the Ministry of Defence."

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Looking for an older story? Search our archives </s> LONDON, June 15 (Reuters) - A second soldier has died after an incident at a firing range in Wales and two others remain wounded, Britain's Ministry of Defence said on Thursday.

On Wednesday, the BBC reported that more than one person had been injured in an incident involving a tank at a military training base in Pembrokeshire in southwest Wales.

"It is with deep sadness that I can confirm the death of a second soldier from the Royal Tank Regiment following yesterday's incident at Castlemartin Ranges," junior defence minister Tobias Ellwood said in a statement. (Reporting by Costas Pitas and Elisabeth O'Leary; Editing by Michael Holden and Lisa Shumaker) </s> The Ministry of Defence has confirmed it is aware of an incident

The incident occurred at Castlemartin training facility in Pembrokeshire - an area of land used for tank training exercises by the Royal Armoured Corps.

Emergency services were called to the scene at around 3.30pm, a police spokesman confirmed.

Meanwhile, a Ministry of Defence (MoD) spokeswoman said: "We are aware of an incident at Castlemartin Ranges.

"My understanding is that there are casualties. As I understand it people have been injured." </s> A number of people are believed to have been injured during an "incident" at a tank training base in Wales.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: "My understanding is that there are casualties. As I understand it people have been injured."

The base on the Pembrokeshire coast is used for tank training exercises by the Royal Armoured Corps.

The MOD added: "We are aware of an incident at Castlemartin Ranges. This is still being investigated and therefore it would be inappropriate to comment further.”

A firing notice for Castlemartin on the Government's website suggests live firing was due to take place on the range from Monday to Friday.

Emergency services were called to the scene at 3.30pm.

Live firing exercises were due to take place at the range this week, it has been reported.

Ranger Michael Maguire, 21 – described as “one of our very best” – died on a training exercise at Castlemartin in 2012.

A police spokesman said: “Dyfed-Powys Police were called to an incident at MOD Royal Armoured Corps range in Castlemartin range at 3.30pm today.

"This is being investigated and a further update will be provided when appropriate.”

According to the Visit Pembrokeshire website, a large part of the Castlemartin peninsula was taken over by the Royal Armoured Corps (RAC) tank range in the late 1930s and further developed during the Cold War period.

It is now the only UK Army range available for armoured units for direct-fire live gunnery exercises. </s> The Ministry of Defence (MoD) have confirmed that there has been a number of casualties after an incident with a tank at a military training base in West Wales.

The Welsh Ambulance Service and Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service are in attendance at an incident at the Castlemartin firing range, in Pembrokeshire, on Wednesday (14 June).

The ambulance service said it was alerted to the injuries just before 3.30pm with the UK Government's website suggesting live firing was due to take place at the site from Monday to Friday this week.

A spokeswoman for the MoD said it was aware of the incident saying: "My understanding is that there are casualties. As I understand it people have been injured."

It is not known if the injuries were sustained during a live fire exercise and the Daily Mail reported that at least one of the casualties is thought to be a soldier.

The Castlemartin range is now the only UK Army range available for direct-fire live gunnery exercises and is used by Army, Army reserves and cadets.

A police spokesman said: "Dyfed-Powys Police were called to an incident at MOD Royal Armoured Corps range in Castlemartin range at 3.30pm today. This is being investigated and a further update will be provided when appropriate."

During a training exercise at Castlemartin in 2012 one soldier, Ranger Michael Maguire, 21, was shot dead.

An inquest found that Ranger Maguire, of The Royal Irish Regiment, had been unlawfully killed after being shot once in the head.

A large swathe of the Castlemartin peninsula was taken over by the Royal Armoured Corps (RAC) tank range in the 1930's although it has been used by civilian organisations.

In August 2016 24-year-old British Army soldier Private Conor McPherson was shot dead during a night-time military training exercise in Northumberland.

Private McPherson, who was serving with The Black Watch as part of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, died after being shot in the head while taking part in a live firing exercise.

And in November last year a soldier was killed in a shooting incident at the RAF Tain bombing range near Inverness, in the Scottish Highlands. </s> A second soldier has died following an incident involving a tank at a Ministry of Defence base in Pembrokeshire.

The Royal Tank Regiment soldier died on Thursday after he was injured at Castlemartin Range on Wednesday.

Another member of the regiment also died and two more were seriously injured in the incident, which is understood to have involved ammunition.

Minister for Defence, People and Veterans, Tobias Ellwood, announced the second death on Thursday night.

He said: "Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this sad time".

The MoD, Dyfed-Powys Police and the Health and Safety Executive are investigating the incident.

Flags at the camp were lowered to half mast on Thursday following the death of the first soldier.

The MoD has suspended tank live firing as a precaution following the incident.

The death of the first soldier was announced on Thursday morning. BBC Wales understands he died at Morriston Hospital in Swansea.
Two British Army soldiers are killed and two others are injured in an incident involving a tank at Castlemartin Training Area in Pembrokeshire, Wales.