Major fire at Canadian military base in Alberta leaves people dead and injured
Canadian Defence Minister David McGuinty said people were killed and injured in an incident and fire at CFB Wainwright in Alberta. The number of casualties and the cause have not been disclosed.
Canadian Defence Minister David McGuinty announced that a serious incident accompanied by a fire has occurred at Wainwright, one of the country's largest military bases, in the province of Alberta. The minister confirmed that there are both dead and injured, but authorities have not yet said how many people are affected.
"It is with regret that I report there are fatalities and injuries following an incident at the Canadian military base in Wainwright," McGuinty told reporters, according to Reuters.
What is known about the incident
The minister did not specify how many people died or were hurt, nor what caused the incident. The base lies in the central-eastern part of the province, roughly 210 km east of Edmonton.
According to McGuinty, the fire was still burning on the evening of 17 October. He added that he could not recall similar incidents in recent times.
Edmonton hospitals under strain
Warren Tirsk, an emergency physician at Edmonton's Royal Alexandra Hospital, told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) that the city had declared a "Code Orange". This is an emergency protocol introduced during major incidents or other large-scale crises. The doctor said it was needed to cope with the large number of patients being brought to the city's hospitals.
"This is a disaster. A disaster of this scale happens once every 15 to 25 years," the doctor said.
