Edmonton (Canada): At least 39 people were hospitalised, including 19 in critical condition, after a deadly fire at a Canadian military base, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said on Sunday.
Smith said patients were transferred from Canadian Forces Base Wainwright to four hospitals across Alberta. Some had suffered severe burns and could require weeks or months of intensive treatment, she added.
Prime Minister Mark Carney earlier confirmed that four service members were killed in the fire, which broke out on Saturday during military training. He described the incident as one of the worst peacetime tragedies involving Canada’s military on domestic soil.
Fire crews scrambled late Saturday as strong winds carried flames beyond the base and into the surrounding rural area. The Canadian military said on Sunday there were no indications that the fire was linked to terrorism, although its cause remained under investigation.
In a televised address, Carney said the families of those killed had been notified and that the situation remained fluid. The service members killed and injured had been participating in military training when the fire broke out, he said.
Flags on federal buildings across Canada would be flown at half-staff in honour of those affected by the tragedy, Carney added.
Those affected included reservists and soldiers from Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, one of Canada’s best-known military regiments. The personnel had travelled from bases across the country to take part in training at Wainwright.
Cathy Keane, a mayoral candidate in Ontario, said her eldest son was among the military personnel critically injured in the fire. “As a mother, right now I need to be with my son and family,” she wrote on Facebook, adding that she was travelling to Alberta.
Defence Minister David McGuinty said the Royal Canadian Mounted Police were involved in the investigation, describing the situation as “very, very active and delicate”. Authorities were still working to establish what had happened and expected to provide further information, he said.
McGuinty said on Sunday that he was travelling to Edmonton to receive a briefing on the latest developments. The military was working closely with Alberta’s government and local authorities, he added.