Eight die as soldier drives into minefield

Eight Russian servicemen were killed in Chechnya when an officer drove a heavy truck out of a base without permission straight into a minefield.

The incident happened late last night at a Russian military base in the southern town of Shali when the officer decided to drive out despite a ban on doing so late at night.

The truck smashed the gate, drove into a minefield around the base and exploded, the Interfax-Military news agency reported.

The officer, who was alone in the truck, and seven servicemen, who guarded the base and attempted to stop him, died in the blast, the agency said, quoting unidentified military officials.

An official investigation started, and the authorities were checking on the possibility that the officer had a mental disorder, the agency said.