Edmonton (Canada), Oct 19 (AP) Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said that 39 people were hospitalised, including at least 19 in critical condition, after a deadly fire at a Canadian military base.
Smith on Sunday said patients were transferred from Canadian Forces Base Wainwright to four hospitals across Alberta. She said some suffered severe burns and could face weeks or months of intensive treatment.
Prime Minister Mark Carney earlier confirmed that four service members were killed in the fire, which broke out Saturday during military training, describing it as one of the worst peacetime tragedies for Canada’s military on domestic soil.
Fire crews scrambled late Saturday as fierce winds whipped flames beyond Canadian Forces Base Wainwright and into the surrounding rural area. The Canadian military said on Sunday there were no indications that the incident was the result of terrorism, but the cause remained under investigation.
Speaking in a televised address, Carney said the families of those killed had been notified and that the situation was still evolving.
Carney said the service members killed and injured were participating in military training when the fire broke out Saturday.
Flags would fly at half-staff on federal buildings across the country in honor of those affected by the tragedy, he said.
Carney said those affected included reservists and soldiers from Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, one of Canada’s most storied military regiments. The personnel had come from bases across the country to train at Wainwright.
Cathy Keane, a mayoral candidate in Ontario, said her eldest son was among the military personnel critically injured. “As a mother, right now I need to be with my son and family,” she wrote on Facebook, saying she was traveling to Alberta.
Defense Minister David McGuinty said the Royal Canadian Mounted Police were involved in investigating the incident and described the situation as “very, very active and delicate.” He said authorities were still working to determine what happened and expected to provide further information.
McGuinty said Sunday he was travelling to Edmonton to be briefed on the latest developments. He said the military was working closely with Alberta’s government and local authorities.
(PTI News)
