‘Severe incident’ at Alberta navy base causes deaths and accidents, Canada officers say | Canada

Individuals have been killed and injured after an incident at one in every of Canada’s busiest navy coaching bases in Alberta brought about a big hearth, Canada’s defence minister mentioned Saturday.

“I’m saddened to share that there have been each fatalities and accidents on account of an incident on the bottom,” defence minister David McGuinty mentioned at a press convention on Saturday evening.

McGuinty described the scenario at CFB Wainwright as “energetic and delicate” with the hearth being monitored very carefully. “I can not recall an incident like this in current reminiscence”, he mentioned on the press convention.

McGuinty didn’t present casualty figures or particulars about what brought about the incident. The Canadian Armed Forces and federal, provincial and native authorities have been coordinating the emergency response, he mentioned. The close by neighborhood of Wainwright was offering hospital and firefighting assist.

In an earlier social media submit, prime minister Mark Carney mentioned: “A severe incident creating a significant hearth has occurred at CFB Wainwright, in Alberta.”

“Our ideas are with all of the courageous men and women affected,” he mentioned.

The Municipal District of Wainwright mentioned the hearth crossed the bottom’s fence earlier Saturday and was spreading quickly on account of excessive winds. Firefighters from a number of jurisdictions have been responding, and no evacuation order was in impact.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith described the hearth as “important and tragic” and mentioned it was affecting many navy personnel.

Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, about 180km southeast of Edmonton, is one in every of Canada’s busiest navy coaching bases, the place troopers put together for fight operations. It’s dwelling to the Canadian Manoeuvre Coaching Centre, which conducts life like battlefield workouts, and the third Canadian Division Coaching Centre, which supplies navy coaching.

Canadian Conservative opposition chief Pierre Poilievre mentioned he had spoken with Carney and the defence minister to supply assist to these affected by the hearth.

“Pray for Wainwright, everybody,” Poilievre mentioned in a social media submit. He urged folks within the space to observe emergency directions and preserve roads clear for first responders.

Neither Carney nor Smith offered particulars about what brought about the hearth or whether or not anybody was injured.