An explosion at a military ammunition storage facility in Nevada during a Marine Corps training exercise killed seven U.S. Marines and wounded several others, the Associated Press reported.
"We send our prayers and condolences to the families of Marines involved in this tragic incident. We remain focused on ensuring that they are supported through this difficult time," Major General Raymond C. Fox, the force's commander, told reporters. "We mourn the loss, and it is with heavy hearts we remember their courage and sacrifice."
The cause of the incident remains under investigation, and the identities of those killed have not been released.
The explosion was an accident unrelated to the ammunition that's stored at the military facility near the small desert community of Hawthorne, Russ Collier, an official at the facility told KRNV-TV.
Stacy Kendall, a spokeswoman for Renown Regional Medical Center, told NBC News the facility was treating eight people wounded in the blast. Three were listed in serious condition; five were listed in fair condition. Kendall said the injuries included traumas and fractures.
The 147,000-acre depot was established in 1930, about 140 miles southeast of Reno. The facility stores and disposes of ammunition, and provides long-term storage for industrial plant equipment. It's comprised of nearly 3,000 buildings over more than 230 square miles.
The facility had an operating budget of $270,000 and a payroll of $2.88 million in fiscal year 2009, according to it s web site.
