Major military base in Canada hit by fire, casualties reported
Photo: The exact number of victims has not yet been disclosed (Getty Images)
An "incident" at CFB Wainwright, a major military base in Canada, has triggered a massive fire, CBC reports.
One of the first officials to comment on the incident was Canadian Minister of National Defense David McGuinty.
He said several people had died in the fire and others had been injured. However, he has yet to disclose the exact number of fatalities and casualties. Moreover, it remains unclear what actually happened.
An emergency physician described the incident at the military base to reporters as "a one in every 15 to 25-year disaster."
Importantly, the "incident" occurred just days before a referendum scheduled for October 19 in Alberta. During the vote, residents of the province are expected to decide whether they support launching a process to separate Alberta from Canada.
According to the Municipal District of Wainwright, strong winds caused the flames to spread rapidly beyond the military base's perimeter fence. Firefighters from multiple jurisdictions were dispatched to the scene.
CBC reported that people were asked to stay away from the fire area and avoid obstructing emergency vehicles.
It is also known that Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney described the fire as "serious."
Earlier, RBC-Ukraine reported that a 19th-century town hall in France had burned down amid mass protests and unrest.
