The Finnish Defence Forces placed a ban on the firing of mortars in its exercises after an accident at a military exercise in Rovajärvi in Finnish Lapland on Friday. One 20-year-old soldier was killed, and six others were injured when a 120 mm heavy mortar exploded during the exercises.
The accident was followed by an immediate ban on the use of mortars of the same type, and on Monday, the ban was extended to lighter mortars with 81 mm barrels.
In a search of the area where the accident took place, pieces of the mid-section of the barrel of the faulty mortar were found. Tuomo Karppinen of the Accident Investigation Board said that he was "very pleased" that nearly alal of the fragments of the splintered barrel were found.
Investigators have said that the explosion was caused by a sudden surge in pressure inside the barrel of the mortar. Investigators were not able to say yet what might have caused the rise in pressure.
Karppinen would not speculate as to whether or not the discovery would speed up the investigation process. In any case, the combing of the site of the explosion is coming to an end.
The appointment of a special board of inquiry for this particular accident remained open on Monday, because not all of those who have been slated for the team could be reached on Monday. Karppinen says that he expects that the board will be appointed after the Independence Day holiday.
