New York, Oct 18. (dpa/GNA) – Four people have died and dozens were injured in “a violent fast-moving fire”, at the Wainwright military base in Alberta, Canada, in what Prime Minister Mark Carney called “one of the worst tragedies” for the country’s military on Canadian soil in peacetime.
The base is some 207 kilometres south-east of Edmonton, Alberta’s provincial capital. Rescue personnel “fought the fire throughout the night in some of the worst conditions imaginable,” Carney said in a live briefing on Sunday.
“The nation is in mourning,” the prime minister said, adding that the country’s flags will fly at half-mast.
The Canadian leader provided no details as to what caused the fire but said, he has asked for a detailed and formal briefing from provincial and federal officials for this afternoon.
A reporter for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) on the ground said, a man living close to the base told her he was able to hear “booms,” which are typical for military exercises.
In mid-afternoon he heard a “bang” and then the noise stopped. However, he noted that winds had picked up and he later saw smoke and fire.
Carney thanked those across the country who have given blood in light of the tragedy. The Canadian Blood Services also thanked those who had already donated and encouraged others to do so to “help to keep our national inventory strong.”
The confirmation of the deaths comes a day after Alberta’s Defence Minister, David McGuinty, reported deaths and injuries at a military base in the province. Carney, also commenting on Saturday evening, had called the incident “serious,” saying it had caused a major fire.
The two did not provide further details at the time. McGuinty told a press conference in Ottawa he could not “recall an incident like this in recent memory.”
GNA