Prime Minister Mark Carney said four Canadian Armed Forces members died in a fire at CFB Wainwright in Alberta and dozens more were seriously wounded.
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Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canada is in mourning following a violent, fast-moving fire at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Wainwright in Alberta.
In a statement delivered in Ottawa on Sunday, Carney said the fire, which began Saturday afternoon, has killed four service members and their next of kin have been notified. He said dozens more are seriously wounded.
Carney said he has asked for a detailed account and a formal briefing to be provided to Canadians on Sunday afternoon by senior officials on the ground in Wainwright, including the minister of national defence, Canada’s minister of emergency preparedness, and Maj.-Gen. Wade Rutland of the Canadian Army. He said provincial ministers and senior officials will also join the briefing.
Carney said he and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith have been in regular contact since last evening, and that ministers and officials have coordinated the response, including deploying resources from the Canadian Armed Forces, public safety, local fire departments, Alberta Emergency and medical services.
In his remarks, Carney said military and civilian crews fought the fire through the night in difficult conditions, and that STARS air ambulance crews flew in from Edmonton and Saskatoon. He also said paramedics, nurses and doctors in Wainwright, Edmonton, Red Deer and Calgary were caring for victims.
Carney said those affected came from bases across the country and included reservists and members of Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry.
He called the nation’s response a collaboration between all levels of government and said flags on all federal buildings would be flown at half-mast to honour the service members who died.
Carney said the country is “praying for the wounded” and standing with families, friends and colleagues of those affected, adding that the women and men of the Canadian Armed Forces “will not carry it alone” as Canada provides care for injured members through their recovery.
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