Multiple people killed as Canadian authorities tackle active blaze at Alberta military base

Paramedics deal with one of the injured at the Wainwright health centre in Alberta, Canada. Photograph: John Ulan/The Canadian Press/APView image in fullscreenParamedics deal with one of the injured at the Wainwright health centre in Alberta, Canada.

Photograph: John Ulan/The Canadian Press/APCanadaMultiple people killed as Canadian authorities tackle active blaze at Alberta military baseHospitals receive injured patients as doctor describes scale of emergency in Wainwright as a ‘disaster’.

Prefer the Guardian on GoogleMultiple people have been killed and others injured after a deadly blaze tore through one of Canada’s busiest military training bases in Alberta, Canada’s defence minister said on Saturday.

McGuinty não forneceu números de vítimas nem detalhes sobre a causa do incidente, e as forças armadas canadenses disseram no domingo que sua “prioridade imediata” era notificar os parentes próximos e ajudar os afetados pelo incêndio.

The armed forces and federal, provincial and local authorities were coordinating the emergency response, they said.

O soldado mais alto do Canadá, Gera. Jennie Carignan, que serve como chefe do staff de defesa, chamou o incidente de “um momento profundamente difícil para todas as forças armadas canadenses”.

The nearby community of Wainwright was providing hospital and firefighting support. Flares were spotted in the sky and military medical paratroopers dropped in on a local school football field.

View image in fullscreenEmergency crews and military personnel gather at the Wainwright Health Centre on Saturday. Photograph: John Ulan/The Canadian Press/APA doctor at a hospital in the city of Edmonton, 180km (112 miles) north-west of Wainwright, told Canada’s national broadcaster that patients were being brought to hospitals across the city as Wainwright’s healthcare facilities became “completely overwhelmed” by the number of people needing care.

Oficiais pediram às pessoas em Edmonton que evitassem o departamento de emergência do hospital da Universidade de Alberta para priorizar as vítimas da base militar.

Air ambulances were dispatched from Saskatoon and Edmonton.

In an earlier social media post, the Canadian prime minister, Mark Carney, said: “A serious incident creating a major fire has occurred at CFB Wainwright, in Alberta.

Nossos pensamentos estão com todas as mulheres e homens corajosos afetados.

Read moreThe Municipal District of Wainwright said the fire crossed the base’s fence earlier on Saturday and was spreading rapidly owing to high winds. Firefighters from multiple jurisdictions were responding and no evacuation order was in effect.

Large areas of the province were hit during the day by a windstorm with gusts of up to 100kmh. The wind toppled some trees and sent signs flying and refuse cans rolling down streets.

The Alberta premier, Danielle Smith, described the fire as “significant and tragic” and said it was affecting many military personnel.

O governador de Saskatchewan, Scott Moe, disse que sua província estava enviando assistência à Alberta, mas não especificou quais recursos estavam sendo mobilizados.

CFB Wainwright is one of Canada’s busiest military training bases, where soldiers prepare for combat operations. It is home to the Canadian Manoeuvre Training Centre, which conducts realistic battlefield exercises, and the 3rd Canadian Division Training Centre, which provides military training.

A RCMP, falando em nome do militar, informou a imprensa que um incêndio foi relatado na base no final da tarde de sábado e que o fogo havia se espalhado além dos limites da área de treinamento.

Canada’s Conservative leader, Pierre Poilievre, said he had spoken with Carney and the defence minister to offer support to those affected by the fire.