Canadian Defence Minister David McGuinty announced on Sunday that casualties, including deaths and injuries, resulted from an incident at Wainwright Military Base in Alberta, western Canada, which led to a major fire without revealing the final casualty toll.
The CBC News network quoted McGuinty as saying during a press conference that the incident was "an exceptional event," clarifying that emergency teams, the Canadian Armed Forces, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police are working at the site in coordination with federal authorities, the provincial government, and local entities.
For its part, the Wainwright municipality urged residents to stay away from the incident site and keep roads open for emergency vehicles, noting the establishment of a coordination center for the response, while reporting that the fire had previously breached the base's main fence.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police announced the opening of an investigation to uncover the circumstances and causes of the incident, while Provincial Premier Danielle Smith described the event as "tragic," noting that it affected several members of the armed forces.
For his part, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney described the incident as "serious," confirming that the federal government is coordinating with the provincial government and local authorities to monitor developments and provide necessary support, expressing solidarity with those affected.
Authorities have not yet revealed the final casualty toll or confirmed causes of the fire, nor clarified the extent of control over it. Four people died on September 27 last year due to a private helicopter crash in the municipality of Saint-Bridgid-de-Iberville, approximately 50 kilometers southeast of Montreal in the Canadian province of Quebec.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
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