Summary

  • Four soldiers killed after a major fire at a Canadian military base have been named, as officials say another 39 people were taken to hospital

  • At least 19 of those in hospital are in a critical condition after a grass fire spread on Saturday, officials say

  • Carney says the "violent, fast-moving" fire led to "one of the worst tragedies" for the military in peacetime

  • "It was like a scene out of a war movie," says a hospital resident who witnessed a military vehicle and ambulances bringing injured people in

  • Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, where the fire broke out about 16:00 local time (22:00 GMT) on Saturday, is one of the country's busiest military training bases

Carney: 'Canada must now serve' service members killed in fire

Live Reporting

Edited by Tinshui Yeung and Dulcie Lee, with Nadine Yousif reporting from Alberta, Canada

  1. Wainwright mayor gives update on base incident

    Wainwright mayor Bruce Pugh sits in front of a device camera in what appears to be a private sitting room. He's wearing a dark polo, a white logo of a stylised bull and the word Wainwright on the left side of his shirt

    Wainwright Mayor Bruce Pugh is speaking to BBC News about Saturday’s incident at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright (CFB Wainwright).

    We’ll bring you the main points from his interview shortly.

  2. 'More patients than any of us want to count,' local doctor says

    Warren Thirsk, an emergency department doctor at the Royal Alexandra Hospital, says the number of patients involved in the incident has "completely overwhelmed" healthcare facilities in Wainwright.

    The Royal Alexandra Hospital is in Edmonton, where patients are being transferred. The hospital has declared a code orange - a disaster response protocol for a high-casualty incident - according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).

    "It is more patients than any of us want to count right now," Thirsk tells CBC. "It's a disaster. It's a one in every 15 to 25-year disaster."

    CFB WainwrightReuters

  3. What we know and don’t know about the incident

    Ambulances line Wainwright Health CentreReuters

    What we know

    • Several people have been killed or injured in a large fire near a Canadian military base in Alberta
    • The fire broke out at about 16:00 local time (22:00 GMT) on Saturday at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, one of the country's busiest military training bases
    • Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton declared a code orange - a disaster response protocol for a high-casualty incident
    • The blaze "spread rapidly due to high winds" and tore through the base's fences, according to the Municipal District of Wainwright
    • Authorities say there are no indications that the incident was the result of any "terrorist activity"

    What we don't know

    • The exact cause of the fire - though sources have told Canadian TV network Global News that it began when a gas line or gas well was hit during a live-fire training exercise
    • Authorities have not publicly confirmed the exact number of fatalities and injuries. Global News reported that at least seven people were killed and dozens more injured, citing the same military sources
    • The identities of those killed and injured in the fire

  4. No sign incident was result of 'terrorist activity' - Canadian Armed Forces

    The Canadian Armed Forces issued a statement earlier today, saying emergency responders were continuing their work as the situation evolved.

    "The full extent of the impact remains under assessment," the statement says.

    It says the immediate priority is "supporting those affected and notifying next of kin". There will be no confirmation of casualty or injury details until that process is complete, according to the statement.

    "While the incident remains under investigation, at this time, there are no indications that it was the result of any terrorist activity," it says.

  5. Several killed or injured after fire at Alberta military base

    Several people have been killed or injured after an incident at a Canadian military base in Alberta on Saturday.

    Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney says “a serious incident creating a major fire” occurred at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright.

    Canadian TV network Global News reports that at least seven people were killed and dozens more injured when a gas line or gas well was hit during a live-fire training exercise, citing unnamed military sources.

    Defence Minister David McGuinty says “there are no indications that it was the result of any terrorist activity”.

    We’ll bring you the latest developments here.