Australian soldier dies, five injured in Northern Territory training accident

Australia's defence department has confirmed that one Army soldier died and five others were injured in a training accident on Monday evening at the Mount Bundey training area, roughly 100km southeast of Darwin in the Northern Territory.

In a statement released Tuesday, the department said the exact circumstances and cause of death had not yet been determined, adding that further updates would be provided when possible.

Northern Territory Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro told a press conference that two injured personnel were flown by helicopter to Darwin around 7.30pm, while three others were evacuated by plane around 9.30pm. She offered condolences to the family of the soldier who died, saying the loss would be felt deeply across the defence community.

NT Police Commissioner Martin Dole said officers had been deployed to assist defence forces and to support an investigation on behalf of the coroner. The department said next of kin had been notified and asked that the privacy of the affected service members and their families be respected.

Pattern of training accidents

The incident follows several recent high-profile training deaths within the Australian Defence Force. In 2024, Jack Fitzgibbon, son of former Labor defence minister Joel Fitzgibbon, died in a parachuting accident during routine training in Sydney, prompting three separate inquiries. In March this year, experienced paratrooper Lachlan Muddle died following a mid-air collision with another trooper during training near Jervis Bay.

Defence Minister and acting Prime Minister Richard Marles has previously stressed that investigations into such incidents must be thorough so lessons can be learned. Opposition leader Angus Taylor expressed support for the injured soldiers and their families, noting that service members risk their lives even outside active missions.