At least seven people have died and dozens more have been injured following an explosion at a Canadian military base.
Fire crews raced to Base Wainwright in Alberta overnight after a fire broke out at the facility and spread into the surrounding rural area.
The full number of casualties was not immediately known. However, a doctor at an Edmonton hospital, about 180km (120 miles) northwest of the base, told Canada’s national broadcaster that patients were being transported to hospitals throughout the city.
Warren Thirsk, an emergency department doctor at the Royal Alexandra Hospital, said medical facilities near the base had become “completely overwhelmed” by the influx of patients.
Speaking to CBC News, he said: “This number of patients would overwhelm the city of Edmonton and that is why we are clearing our decks and mobilising to respond as if it was our own city.
“It is more patients than any of us want to count right now. It’s a disaster. It’s a one in every 15- to 25-year disaster.”
Sources told Global News earlier on Saturday that at least seven people had been killed.
The sources also said a live-fire training exercise was under way when personnel struck either a gas line or a gas well, triggering the explosion.
Paramedics load an injured person into an ambulance at Wainwright Health Centre as injured Canadian troops receive treatment following a fire at Base Wainwright
Emergency services rushed to the Alberta fire on Saturday night after at least seven people were killed and dozens were injured
Paramedics work at Wainwright Health Centre while injured military personnel are treated
The nearby town of Wainwright has a population of about 7,000.
Canadian Defence Minister David McGuinty said the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) were helping investigate the fire, describing the situation as “very, very active and delicate”.
He said authorities were still working to establish what had happened and expected to release more information.
The RCMP said officers were called shortly after 4pm on Saturday after receiving reports of a fire in a training area at the base.
Firefighters confronted dangerous conditions as a windstorm swept across large parts of Alberta, bringing gusts of up to 100km (62 miles) an hour.
The strong winds knocked down trees, blew signs into the air and sent rubbish bins rolling through the streets.
By 11pm, the Municipal District of Wainwright said on social media that the fire was being held, with property and critical infrastructure protected.
No evacuation order had been issued for local residents.
Emergency crews and military personnel gather at Wainwright Health Centre
The country’s defense minister David McGuinty said: ‘I’m saddened to share that there have been both fatalities and injuries as a result of an incident on the base’
Mr McGuinty, speaking to reporters in Ottawa, confirmed the casualties but had no other details to share.
He said: ‘I cannot recall such an incident in my short time for sure as a minister, but I cannot recall an incident like this in recent memory.’
‘We will have more to say in the coming hours and days,’ he added. ‘At this time, our thoughts are with the families and with everyone impacted by this tragic event.
‘And I want to thank, in particular, the first responders and everyone providing assistance at a very difficult time.’
Mr McGuinty said authorities were still working to determine what happened and expected to provide further information.
He said Canadian troops were at the scene and that RCMP were also involved. ‘This is an active and delicate situation and soon to be an active and delicate investigation.’
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said his province was sending assistance to Alberta but did not specify what resources were being deployed.
And Canadian prime minister Mark Carney said: ‘A serious incident creating a major fire has occurred at CFB Wainwright, in Alberta. Our thoughts are with all the brave women and men affected.’
The incident happened on Saturday inside the Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta
The blaze is seen here on NASA’s fire resource management system
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith described the fire as ‘significant and tragic’ and said it was affecting many military personnel.
She thanked first responders and those providing care and support to those affected.
CFB Wainwright is one of Canada’s busiest military training bases, where soldiers prepare for combat operations.
It is home to the Canadian Manoeuvre Training Centre, which conducts realistic battlefield exercises, and the 3rd Canadian Division Training Centre, which provides military training.
CFB Wainwright had 1,310 military and civilian personnel stationed there as of 2021, according to census data.
The town of Wainwright, population about 6,600, is just north of the base.
The municipality posted on social media that the fire had crossed the base fence into the nearby district but no evacuation orders had been issued.
General Jennie Carignan, the chief of Canada’s Defense Staff, said the Canadian forces are fully engaged with federal, provincial and local authorities.
‘Our priority remains the welfare of our members, their families and their community,’ she said.
Canadian Conservative opposition leader Pierre Poilievre said he had spoken with Mr Carney and the defence minister to offer support to those affected by the fire.
‘Pray for Wainwright, everyone,’ Mr Poilievre said.
He urged people in the area to follow emergency instructions and keep roads clear for first responders.
The fire also disrupted advance voting ahead of Monday’s referendum on whether Alberta should begin a process that could lead to independence from Canada.
Elections Alberta said two polling locations, in Lloydminster and Vermilion, closed early on Saturday and the ballots were transported securely.
Fire crews were last night left battling flames between the base and the nearby town of Wainwright which had spread quickly due to windstorms with gusts hitting as much as 62 miles per hour.
Mr McGuinty previously said: ‘I’m saddened to share that there have been both fatalities and injuries as a result of an incident on the base.’
The defence minister did not provide casualty figures or details about what caused the incident.
Dane Lloyd, an Alberta member of parliament, said: ‘an explosion and fire has resulted in significant casualties’.
The base is near Wainwright, Alberta, a town about 112 miles south-east of Edmonton, the capital of the province.