Suicide Vests: Deadly Fashion

A suicide bombing is a hazardous occupation by definition. The successful suicide bomber has a 100 percent chance of being killed on the job. But not all suicide bombers die while blowing themselves up in front of schools, inside mosques, at funerals, or during the recovery of victims of other bombings.

Occasionally suicide bombers meet their end from the occupational hazard known as premature detonation. In some quarters premature detonation is referred to as a "work accident."

The latest work accident occurred in Khost, Afghanistan, as the suicide bomber hopeful left his home. "Coming down the stairs, he fell down and exploded,” the Australian reported. “Two civilian women and a man were wounded." The bomber appears to have removed the trigger safety, if one ever existed, a bit early.

The bomber was targeting an opening ceremony at a mosque, of course.

Today's work accident was preceded by one two days earlier in Lashkar Gah, Afghanistan. A suicide bomber there prematurely detonated his vest as he was putting it on. He killed himself, his two sons, and another unnamed person.