Army officials said that two troops from Fort Benning, Georgia, died and three others were injured in a “weather-related” occurrence on a mountain in northern Georgia on Tuesday.
A representative for the Army told CBS station WMAZ-TV that the slain troops, whose identities have not been revealed, were training at the Maneuver Center of Excellence near Yonah Mountain. Before being brought to a hospital, the wounded troops were treated by Army professionals. Their conditions were unavailable immediately.
There have been no publicised accounts of the incident.
On Yonah Mountain, the Army conducts training, including the Ranger School’s Mountain Phase. Typically, soldiers who train on the mountain will report to Camp Merrill in the state’s northern region.
Army statement: “Additional information will be released as more details become available.”
Yonah Mountain is located around 170 miles northeast of Fort Benning and 70 miles northeast of Atlanta.
This is the second fatal incident involving Georgia-based troops in the last month. Sgt. 1st Class Michael D. Clark was struck and killed by lightning at Fort Gordon in Augusta in late July. Nine other troops were injured during the event. The location of Fort Gordon is just west of Augusta.