'A real tight-knit group:' Military unit mourns after 2 soldiers killed in Alaska vehicle crash

Two U.S. Army soldiers are dead and 12 others are injured after a military vehicle accident at the Yukon Training Area near Salcha, Alaska, military officials said late Monday.

The cause of the accident is under investigation and the identities of those who died are being withheld until family members are notified, an official said.

Four soldiers who were injured in the accident "remain hospitalized in stable condition," said John Pennell, a spokesperson for the 11th Airborne Division of the U.S. Army. The eight others were "treated and released" from the hospital on Monday.

What happened?

On Tuesday, Pennell told The Associated Press that the driver of the vehicle "lost control ... on a dirt road going into the training area, causing the large transport vehicle to flip," the news outlet reported. Seventeen soldiers were in the vehicle.

Pennell said responders from the Alaska State Troopers, North Pole Fire Department personnel, and Eielson Air Force Base arrived to the scene to help.

First responders "extracted the personnel and provided on-scene medical treatment," he said, and the soldiers were transported by ground or by air to Fairbanks Memorial Hospital in Fairbanks.

In April, three Alaska-based soldiers also died when two military helicopters collided on the way to Fort Wainwright near Fairbanks from a training mission, according to the AP.

'We're a real tight-knit group in the military'

“We’re a real tight-knit group in the military, so right now, the entire 11th Airborne Division is grieving and preparing to provide whatever support is necessary for the families of the deceased and to help support those who are still in the hospital and dealing with their injuries,” Pennell said to the Associated Press.

Contributing: Associated Press

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