All-terrain vehicle crash in Finnish Lapland injures 23 conscriptS
At least two conscripts were seriously injured in the accident.
Twenty-three conscripts were injured after a tracked, all-terrain transport Border Guard vehicle drove off the road and crashed in a training area in Lapland on Wednesday.
Two conscripts were seriously injured and taken to Lapland Central Hospital in Rovaniemi, according to local rescue services. Later on Wednesday news agency STT reported that four conscripts had been seriously injured in the accident.
The other injured conscripts were taken to the public health centre in Ivalo.
Six rescue units were called to the accident scene. According to rescue services, the Border Jaeger Company also assisted with personnel and equipment. The vehicle belongs to the Border Guard.
First responders worked to care for the injured and also stopped a fuel leak in the crashed military vehicle, rescue services said.
According to preliminary information from the police on Wednesday afternoon, the transport vehicle was carrying too many conscripts at the time of the accident.
The Lapland Border Guard said the vehicle involved in the accident was a Hägglunds Bandvagn 206.
Police said there was no snow or ice on the road where the accident occurred.
Police said the incident is being investigated under the criminal headings of traffic endangerment and a service offence.
The accident occurred as the conscripts were being transported to conduct shooting exercises on Wednesday morning, according to Lapland Border Guard Commander Mikko Kauppila.
He said the vehicle overturned on a road, but did not further specify the location of the accident.
The shooting exercise, involving more than 100 conscripts, was cancelled after the accident.
Kauppila said there was currently no further information about what caused the accident.
The Lapland Police Department has opened an investigation into the accident. Meanwhile, the Border Guard said it has contacted the relatives of the injured conscripts and was continuing the effort.
The accident was first reported by Finnish news network MTV. It reported that civilians who were at the Ivalo health centre were being turned away because staff was busy with the accident and that injured conscripts were seen in the centre’s waiting room.
