Defense took adequate measures after fatal accidents, Safety Board says

The Dutch Safety Board is positive about the measures the Ministry of Defense is implementing following a fatal shooting accident in Ossendrecht and a fatal mortar grenade explosion in Mali. Defense is taking recommendations to improve the culture and safety seriously and is "raising the bar for itself", according to the Safety Board, NOS reports.

The Safety Board investigated both fatal accidents and came to harsh conclusions in both cases. The researchers concluded that in the fatal shooting accident in Ossendrecht, nothing happened as it should have and that Defense had let the commando troops practice in dangerous circumstances for years.

In Mali two soldiers were killed and a third seriously injured when a mortar grenade exploded during training. The Safety Board concluded that Defense did not prioritize the importance of munition safety and good medical facilities for its soldiers.

The Dutch Safety Board did add that the Defense organization should clearly define how it will be monitored that the process of implementing measures is still going well and is producing satisfactory results.