Man injured in grenade blast

Man injured in grenade blast

The accident occured on the Pendine Ranges

A man has been discharged from hospital after being seriously injured while testing a rifle-fired grenade at a military range in west Wales.

It is understood the employee was injured in his arm and abdomen by flying shrapnel at the Pendine Ranges in Carmarthenshire.

The man - who was in his 30s and from Carmarthen, according to police - was treated by medical staff on the site before being taken by helicopter to Morriston Hospital in Swansea.

The incident, which happened at 1345 BST on Tuesday afternoon, is being investigated by the Ministry of Defence (MoD), the Health and Safety Executive and Dyfed-Powys Police.

Qinetiq, which runs the site for the MoD, say the grenade trials were carried out "in accordance with recognised safety procedures".

"When conducting routine trials with in-service hand operated munitions at the range in Pendine, a trials officer received injuries to his arm and abdomen from flying shrapnel," said a Qinetiq spokesperson.

"The trials were being carried out in accordance with recognised safety procedures and this is an unfortunate and unforseeable accident," added the spokesperson.

Business affected

Local people have said they are shocked by the accident, but many still feel the ranges are a valuable asset to the community.

"I don't think you would find many people who would say this is going to affect their opinion of the range, but it is a shame," said Simon Morris, who has lived in the village for nine years.

But others say the range damages their business, including Sandra Flaxman, who runs a caravan park.

"I have lost quite a lot of enquiries and even people who are here say they are thinking about going as they do not feel safe," she said.

"I half agree with some people who say that it is jobs, but to what extent have we got to carry on with the safety aspects," she added.