A falling machine gun fatally struck a safety officer during rope descent training at Ground Self-Defense Force (GSDF) Camp Matsumoto in Nagano Prefecture on March 13.

The about 1-meter-long 5.56-millimeter machine gun weighing about 7 kilograms fell from a 15-meter-high training tower at about 6:45 p.m., and directly hit a male ranger who was on the ground. The ranger was taken to a hospital but was confirmed dead.

The GSDF identified the victim as Makoto Kobayashi, 41, a sergeant first class in the 13th infantry regiment at Camp Matsumoto. His cause of death was cardiac trauma. At the time of the accident he was working as a safety officer near the training tower. The GSDF has set up an accident investigation committee to examine the details.

During the training, members descend ropes while carrying machine guns, and about 30 troops were taking part. The machine guns had nylon straps attached to them, secured at two points in the front and back, and the rangers were wearing them on their shoulders. The machine gun that hit Kobayashi is believed to have fallen when the strap on the muzzle side of the weapon came loose just before a ranger was about to rappel down. No intervention from a third party was confirmed.

(Japanese original by Yoshitake Matsuura, Tokyo City News Department)