An armored vehicle with the 815th Mechanized Infantry Division in North Hwanghae Province overturned during a recent training exercise, leading to several injuries, Daily NK has learned.
A source in North Hwanghae Province told Daily NK on Monday that an armored vehicle belonging to one of the 815th Mechanized Infantry Division’s units overturned during a wargame.
“The soldier driving the vehicle suffered severe injuries and is currently undergoing treatment at the division hospital,” he said.
According to the source, the 815th Mechanized Infantry Division began tactical drills following an order from the General Staff Department earlier this month calling for wartime preparation drills. The armored vehicle in question overturned on a sharp turn on Oct. 13 in the middle of the drills.
The soldiers aboard the vehicle reportedly suffered minor and major injuries.
As for the cause of the accident, the source said the soldiers in question ordinarily learn only theoretical knowledge about armored vehicles; they had been unable to engage in proper driving practice due to fuel shortages.
“With somebody unused to armored vehicles taking the wheel, an accident was inevitable,” he said.
The source said North Korean mechanized units do not ordinarily carry out driving exercises or drills because armored vehicles guzzle fuel, adding that commanders are busy filling their own pockets by selling the oil they receive for drills.
“This being the case, it’s difficult to imagine soldiers improving their driving skills,” he said.
The source further explained that simply serving in a technical branch of the military does not ensure that soldiers actually learn the skills they are supposed to learn.
“Accidents happen when soldiers spend spring to autumn farming fields on military land and then suddenly take the wheel of armored vehicles during drills,” he said.
Please direct any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
