Multiple people were killed and dozens were injured after an explosion at a Canadian military base, authorities said.
The blast struck Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta on Saturday afternoon, triggering a massive fire. Strong winds drove the flames beyond the sprawling military facility and into nearby rural areas, Canadian officials said.
At a news conference Sunday, Prime Minister Mark Carney said at least four service members had died in the explosion and the ensuing “violent fire,” while “dozens more are seriously wounded.”
Carney described the incident as “one of the worst tragedies for the forces on Canadian soil in peacetime.”
Earlier Sunday, Global News, citing multiple military sources, reported that at least seven people had been killed and dozens injured.
“I cannot recall an incident like this in recent memory,” Canadian Defense Minister David McGuinty said during a news conference Saturday night at the base near the town of Wainwright.
Military officials said the cause of the explosion remains under investigation. When asked for more information, McGuinty said only that the situation was “very, very active and delicate.”
In a statement Sunday, Canada’s Department of National Defense said there were “no indications that it was the result of any terrorist activity.”
Several Canadian Armed Forces sources told Global News that the explosion happened during a live-fire training exercise. The sources said a gas line or gas well may have been struck, causing it to ignite.
Officials said the fire began in the base’s training area at about 4 p.m. local time Saturday.
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“The fire spread rapidly beyond the boundaries of the training area, while military and civilian emergency services responded quickly to control that fire and to support those affected by this tragic event,” the Canadian government said in a statement Sunday morning.
Carney said his office was collecting information about the “serious incident that triggered a large-scale fire” at the military installation.
“Our thoughts are with all the brave women and men affected,” Carney said in a social media post.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said the “significant and tragic” incident had affected many military personnel.
Neither Carney nor Smith disclosed details about the cause of the fire.
Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragon, chair of the NATO Military Committee, also offered condolences Sunday. “Canada does not carry this grief alone. All 32 Allied Chiefs of Defense stand with you and the Canadian Armed Forces,” he said in a social media post.
“Wainwright is where Canadian soldiers, and so many Allies with them, train for the hardest tasks of our profession,” Dragon said. “Those who fell there served our common security, and the Military Committee will honor their memory.”
CFB Wainwright is one of Canada’s largest and busiest military training facilities. Military officials said soldiers use the base to prepare for combat operations. It is also home to the Canadian Manoeuvre Training Center, which conducts realistic battlefield exercises.
ABC News’ Chris Barry, Matthew Holroyd and Michael O’Keefe contributed to this report.
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