One killed in blast during Indonesian army exercise

JAKARTA - A 350-gram bomb exploded accidentally during an exercise by the Indonesian army, killing one soldier and injuring seven.

The accident happened at around 2.00 p.m. (0600 GMT) Friday when a company of soldiers were attending a routine exercise to cross the Manggar river in East Kalimantan, Xinhua reported citing local news portal Detiknews.com.

40-year-old Chief Sergeant Buana, an explosive expert, was holding the bomb and replacing its battery when the bomb suddenly exploded, killing him on the spot.

Indonesian Army spokesman Brigadier General Wijanarko said the company had planned to use the bomb to repel crocodiles in the river before crossing it, but the explosive device did not work.