title: A case of death from the explosion of a 66mm M72 High Explosive Anti-Tank rocket.
abstract: A 53-year-old male died from an explosion of a 66 mm M72 High Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) rocket. He had collected various cast-off military weapons and was selling them. There were numerous explosive injuries on the anterior side of the body, thus especially bilateral hands, left toe and right knee were severely crushed and fractured. The location and severity of the injuries suggest that he was down on his left knee and was manipulating the weapon with both hands at the moment of detonation. We consider that 66 mm M72 HEAT rocket accidentally detonated during his handling. Very rarely are civilians killed by a military weapon, except during wartime. Appropriate investigation of various explosive injuries provide not only evidence of the cause of death, but also the position and posture of the body.
authors.affiliation: Department of Legal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, 207 Uehara, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0215, Japan. makino@med.u-ryukyu.ac.jp
authors.forename: Yoko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ihama
authors.forename: Tetsuji
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Miyazaki
authors.forename: Chiaki
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fuke
authors.forename: Zenshin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Taira
mesh_terms: D000059:Accidents; D001753:Blast Injuries / Q000473:pathology*; D005107:Explosions; D049429:Forensic Pathology; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000473:pathology; D050724:Fractures, Cartilage / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012421:Rupture; D013345:Subarachnoid Hemorrhage / Q000473:pathology; D013957:Thyroid Cartilage / Q000293:injuries / Q000473:pathology