▲ Emergency vehicles arrive at a hospital in Wainwright, Alberta, Canada
A massive fire broke out following a fatal incident at a military base in the Canadian province of Alberta on the local time of the 17th, resulting in numerous casualties, according to CNN and the Associated Press.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police stated that a report of a fire was received around 4 p.m. that day at a military training area in Wainwright, eastern Alberta.
Canadian Defence Minister David McGuinty said in a video statement that there were deaths and injuries resulting from an incident at the base, describing the situation as "very urgent and sensitive."
However, he did not disclose the specific scale of the casualties.
According to the Canadian government website, the Wainwright base, located about 210 kilometers southeast of Alberta's capital Edmonton, is one of the busiest army bases in Canada.
It houses the Canadian Manoeuvre Training Centre and the 3rd Canadian Division Training Centre, and also serves as a training ground for army field units stationed in Edmonton.
Prime Minister Mark Carney confirmed without providing specific details that the fire stemmed from a "serious incident."
According to local media posts on social media platform X, an explosion occurred at the base followed by a fire, and it is estimated that at least seven people were killed and dozens injured in the process.
Some sources claimed that the number of injured could reach as high as 150.
Testimonies from local medical staff support this.
A doctor at a hospital in Edmonton told Canadian broadcasters that medical facilities in Wainwright were "completely overwhelmed," with patients being transferred to hospitals across the city.
Dr. Warren Thirsk, an emergency room doctor at the Royal Alexandra Hospital, told CBC News that Edmonton would have difficulty handling such a volume of patients, adding, "It's a number of patients that none of us want to count."
Local authorities stated that the fire at the military base spread rapidly due to strong winds, and firefighters were making all-out efforts to extinguish it.
Authorities urged residents to avoid the accident site and refrain from using roads to allow for the swift movement of fire and rescue teams.
The accident also disrupted advance voting to choose whether to pursue a binding referendum on Alberta's secession and independence.
Elections Alberta stated that two advance polling stations closed early that day and that the ballots were safely transported.
Alberta, a major oil-producing region in Canada, is set to hold a referendum on the 19th to choose whether to remain a Canadian province or pursue a binding referendum on secession and independence.
Advance voting took place from the 13th until that day.
(Photo: Captured from X, Yonhap News)
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