Four Canadian military personnel were killed and dozens of others seriously injured after a fire broke out during a training exercise at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta on Saturday, Prime Minister Mark Carney confirmed Sunday.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said 39 people were receiving medical care. Sayeh Zielke, chief executive of Acute Care Alberta, said 19 were in critical condition, eight were stable and 12 were ambulatory and receiving treatment for less serious injuries.
The wounded were receiving treatment at medical facilities in Wainwright, Edmonton, Red Deer and Calgary.
In a televised address, Carney described the incident as one of the deadliest peacetime tragedies involving Canada's military on Canadian soil. He said the families of the four service members who died had been notified, while authorities continued to assess the full extent of the disaster.
The Prime Minister announced that flags on federal buildings throughout Canada would be lowered to half-staff in honor of those affected.
Among the personnel involved were reservists and members of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, a longstanding Canadian military regiment. Soldiers had traveled to Wainwright from bases across the country to participate in training.
The Canadian Armed Forces said there was no indication that terrorism was responsible for the fire, although investigators had not yet determined its cause.
Acute Care Alberta confirmed that several hospitals had declared a "Code Orange," an emergency response activated when large numbers of seriously injured patients require coordinated treatment.
The agency warned that ambulance availability in the Edmonton area had become extremely limited and asked residents to avoid the University of Alberta Hospital's emergency department whenever possible.
Wainwright Mayor Bruce Pugh said the town's hospital was not equipped to manage an emergency involving so many casualties, although he commended local healthcare workers for their response.
Medical helicopters and aircraft were used to transfer patients to hospitals elsewhere in Alberta.
At least 10 ambulances were positioned around Wainwright's health center late Saturday as emergency workers and military personnel assisted with the response.
The town of Wainwright has approximately 7,000 residents.