Five dead, four missing in flash flood at US military base
AFP
June 3, 2016 12:59 MYT
June 3, 2016 12:59 MYT
Parts of Texas have been inundated with rain in the last week, and more than half of the state is under flood watches or warnings, including the counties near Fort Hood. - AFP photo
Five US soldiers died and four more were missing Thursday after their vehicle overturned during flash flooding at a military base in Texas, officials said.
At least three bodies "were recovered from the water downstream from the vehicle," the Fort Hood communication office said in a statement.
It added that three soldiers had been rescued and were in stable condition.
Texas has seen severe storms in recent days, including at Fort Hood, where the troops' Light Medium Tactical Vehicle overturned during a training exercise.
An aerial search, canine units and swift water rescue boats were all deployed in response to the accident.
The US Army base is located approximately 200 miles (320 kilometers) northwest of Houston. Nearly 41,000 soldiers are stationed there, according to its website.
In 2009, Fort Hood was scene to the deadliest shooting at a military base in US history, when army psychiatrist Major Nidal Hasan killed 13 people and wounded more than 30 others before being overpowered by police.