Four soldiers killed and dozens injured in a fire at a Canadian base

O canadian Prime Minister today revealed that four military personnel died and dozens were seriously injured in a military base fire in Alberta, which he described as one of the worst peacetime tragedies for the Canadian Armed Forces.

Mark Carney stated that the families of the fatalities have already been notified and that the situation is still developing.

The head of the government stated that the high-level military and government authorities are still presenting a detailed account of the disaster that occurred at the base of the Canadian forces in Wainwright.

According to the Canadian Armed Forces, there is no evidence that the incident was an act of terrorism, although the cause continues to be investigated.

The exact number of deaths or injuries was not immediately clear. However, a doctor from a hospital in Edmonton, a city located 180 kilometres northwest, reported to the Canadian national broadcaster that patients were being referred to hospitals throughout the city, since the health units near the base were “completely overloaded” with the amount of people who needed care.

“ This volume of patients would overload the city of Edmonton,” said Dr. Warren Thirsk, a doctor at the Royal Alexandra Hospital emergency department, CBC News. “It’s a higher number of patients than any of us would like to account for right now. It's a disaster. It is a kind of tragedy that occurs once every 15 or 25 years”.

Prime Minister Mark Carney announced today that Canada's flags will be placed on half a rod in federal buildings throughout the country in honor of the victims of the tragedy.

“ All Canadians are with the military at Wainwright Base, their families and their community,” Carney said.

For its part, hospitals declare the emergency of “Orange Code”, an emergency designation used when a large number of critically injured patients need coordinated medical care.