Last update - 00:00 16/01/2008
Seven injured when artillery shell explodes at Haifa naval base
By Amos Harel and Fadi Eyadat, Haaretz Correspondents
An artillery shell inadvertently exploded onboard an Israel Navy missile ship at the Haifa naval base Wednesday, moderately to seriously wounding an Israel Defense Forces soldier and lightly injuring six other people.
The accident occurred during routine maintenance on one of the ship's cannons.
Two of those injured are civilians employed by the IDF, and the rest are soldiers.
Magen David Adom emergency medical services evacuated the injured to Rambam Medical Center in Haifa for treatment. All but two of them were subsequently released.
The hospital's director, Professor Rafi Biar, said the injured suffered wounds to the face and head, and were in stable condition.
The Israel Navy has notified the families of the injured, and launched an investigation.
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