The death toll from Saturday's explosion and fire at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta has been put at at least seven people killed, with dozens more injured, according to reporting published early Sunday — the first specific toll for an incident the federal government had confirmed only as fatal on Saturday evening.
Military sources cited by Global News say the explosion may have happened during a live-fire training exercise, when ordnance struck a gas line or a gas well on the training area. The Canadian Armed Forces has not officially confirmed a cause, and both the military and the RCMP are investigating.
Winds gusting to about 100 kilometres an hour pushed the fire beyond the base perimeter on Saturday. Edmonton hospitals declared a Code Orange mass-casualty alert as patients arrived; Royal Alexandra Hospital emergency physician Dr. Warren Thirsk told CBC the influx would strain the city's emergency departments.
No evacuation order was issued for the town of Wainwright. The base, about 180 kilometres southeast of Edmonton, is home to the Canadian Manoeuvre Training Centre and the 3rd Canadian Division Training Centre. Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith both responded on Saturday; officials say casualty notification of families is the priority before further details are released.
