The Karenni National Defense Force (KNDF) announced on October 1 that the deaths of 18 medics in Kayah State (Karenni State) were due to the negligence of training officials. On September 11, the medics drowned while crossing a stream during a training exercise. According to the KNDF, the course officials were unprepared, with poor risk assessment and mismanagement contributing to the fatal incident.
Furthermore, the report claims that the principal and instructors responsible for the training had been drinking alcohol prior to the accident and admitted to their role in the tragedy. It was also revealed that the decision for night training was made by the teaching staff, but most of the trainees and KNDF officials were unaware of this.
The training principal and two instructors, while stating that they did not wish for their comrades to die, acknowledged their failure to properly prepare. The KNDF has promised to continue investigations and will provide a report to both the battalion and the public, as well as keep the affected families informed.
The incident occurred during the second intake of the four-month front-line medic training course.
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