Failure to follow correct firing protocol and conduct necessary safety checks resulted in a Ground Self-Defense Force mishap last month in which shrapnel from a live mortar round hit a civilian car in western Japan, the GSDF said Tuesday.
In the incident on Nov. 14, an 81-millimeter mortar round landed outside Aibano Training Area in Takashima, Shiga Prefecture. Shrapnel from the round shattered a car's window about 40 meters away from the impact location, with a 71-year-old farmer inside escaping uninjured.
The GSDF acknowledged it also failed to swiftly report the incident to the mayor of Takashima. The GSDF and the city have an agreement to immediately share information on incidents of concern at the training area, but the mayor was not notified until some four hours later.