Pembrokeshire incident: Second soldier dies following incident at firing range

Two people are still being treated for their injuries

Facebook posts by the regiment involved said soldiers and tanks were carrying out firing exercises (Getty)

A second soldier has died following an incident at a military firing range in Pembrokeshire.

Defence Minister Tobias Ellwood said both victims were from the Royal Tank Regiment.

Two people are still being treated for their injuries.

Mr Ellwood said: "It is with great sorrow I can confirm the death of a second soldier from the Royal Tank Regiment following yesterday's incident at Castlemartin Ranges."

The Castlemartin range is used for tanks and armoured units to carry out direct-fire live gunnery exercises.

Paramedics were called to the scene shortly after 3.30pm on Wednesday, taking two men to Morriston Hospital, Swansea, one to Heath Hospital in Cardiff and air-lifting a fourth to a Birmingham hospital.

The two other soldiers hurt were said to be in a critical condition.

A 48-hour worldwide ban was subsequently imposed on the ammunition which had been fired during the fatal training exercising.

A statement from the Royal Tank Regiment said its investigations were continuing.

The deadly incident came five years after a 21-year-old soldier died when he was shot in the head while relaxing at a safe location outside Castlemartin.

A 2013 inquest into the death of Mike Maguire heard he was hit in the temple by a single bullet after live machine gun fire was wrongly directed inland towards the safe haven.

The inquest jury ruled Ranger Maguire, a member of the 1st Battalion, The Royal Irish Regiment, was unlawfully killed.

Press Association