AT least seven people have reportedly been killed after an explosion ripped through a military base in Canada.
Canada’s defence minister said large numbers of injured people have been rushed to hospital after the “serious incident” in Alberta and described the situation as “very, very active and delicate”.
Fire crews scrambled as fierce 62mph winds whipped flames beyond Canadian Forces Base Wainwright and into the surrounding rural area.
At least seven people have been killed, sources told Global News.
A live-fire training exercise hit a gas line or gas well on the base triggering an explosion, sources told the outlet.
“I cannot recall an incident like this in recent memory,” Defence Minister David McGuinty said.
Bruce Pugh, the mayor of Wainwright, a town near the base, described the incident as “the largest mass casualty event the community has ever seen”.
A doctor at a hospital in the city of Edmonton, 120 miles northwest, said patients were being brought to hospitals across the city.
He said medical facilities around the base are completely overwhelmed by the number of people needing care.
Dr Warren Thirsk, an emergency department doctor at Royal Alexandra Hospital, told CBC News: “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.”
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith called it a “significant and tragic fire” – with the Canadian military forced to parachute troops into one of the country’s busiest bases.
Defence Minister McGuinty said the Royal Canadian Mounted Police were involved in investigating the incident.
He said authorities were still working to determine what happened and expected to provide further information.
The Canadian military said Sunday there were no indications that the incident was the result of terrorism.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said officers were called to reports of a fire in a training area at the base shortly after 4pm Saturday.
By 11pm authorities said the fire was under control and property and critical infrastructure were protected.
Neighbouring province Saskatchewan deployed resources to the base to assist emergency crews, Premier Scott Moe said.
He did not specify what resources had been deployed, how many personnel or which agencies were involved in the response.
The Shock Trauma Air Rescue Service said it also dispatched helicopters from Edmonton and Saskatoon bases as part of a multi-agency response.
There were no evacuation orders for the nearby town Wainwright of around 7,000 residents.
Prime Minister Mark Carney said: “Our thoughts are with all the brave women and men affected.”
General Jennie Carignan, chief of the defence staff, said the incident was “a profoundly difficult moment for the entire Canadian Armed Forces”.
Carignan added: “Our immediate focus remains on supporting those affected, assisting emergency response efforts, and ensuring the wellbeing of our members, their families, and the surrounding community.
“I extend my deepest condolences to the loved ones of those who have lost their lives.”
CFB Wainwright is one of Canadas 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.
Lieutenant-General Michael Wright, Commander of the Canadian Army said: “We are deeply saddened by the loss of life and injuries resulting from this incident.
“On behalf of the Canadian Army, I extend my deepest condolences to the families, friends, and loved ones of those affected by this tragedy.”