Australian soldier killed and five injured during training exercise in Northern Territory

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An Australian soldier was killed and five injured during a training exercise at a military facility in the Northern Territory.

The 28-year-old was killed when a military vehicle overturned at the Mount Bundey Training Area, located around 100km southeast of Darwin, the Department of Defence said on Tuesday.

"Defence can confirm an Australian Army soldier died during a training exercise at the Mount Bundey Training Area on 5 October 2026,” the department said in a statement.

“Five other Australian Army soldiers were injured."

Mount Bundey is used for live fire exercises. The crash involved a Supacat high-mobility transporter vehicle, News Wire reported.

The Northern Territory police responded to the incident at around 4.20pm local time on Monday and airlifted the injured soldiers to Royal Darwin Hospital.

Two of them were reported to be in critical condition.

Northern Territory’s chief minister, Lia Finocchiaro, said that two of the injured soldiers were moved to hospital by helicopter at around 7.30pm and the other three by plane at around 9.30pm.

"I want to offer our sincere condolences to the family of the young service personnel who lost their life yesterday," she said.

The defence department would hold a press conference later on Tuesday to provide further details about the incident, she added.

“Of course, our focus and priority has been on supporting the injured, and our thoughts and prayers are with the family of the young man who’s lost his life in this tragic event,” the chief minister said.

Prime minister Anthony Albanese also offered condolences. "There are no safe or easy days for those who serve in our country's name," he said.

The incident took place at the same training facility where 25-year-old soldier Jason Challis was killed in 2017 after being shot in the head during an exercise.

An inquest in 2019 heard that Challis was shot while standing behind a plywood wall during an exercise in a setting meant to resemble a village.

Years later, the defence department pleaded guilty to failing to comply with health and safety duty.

Matthew Keogh, federal minister for veteran affairs, said the army had already been looking into its training systems and ensuring "everyone is safe as possible", ABC News reported.

Monday's is the second death of an Australian soldier this year after a paratrooper died in a mid-air collision while training in May. Warrant Officer Class Two Lachlan Muddle fell to the ground after a collision with another paratrooper.

Muddle’s was the second parachute-related death in the past two years. Lance corporal Jack Fitzgibbon died in 2024 after suffering injuries during a parachuting incident in Sydney.