Canada has confirmed that a weekend fire at a military training base in Alberta killed at least four service members and seriously injured dozens more, in what Prime Minister Mark Carney described as one of the worst peacetime tragedies for the nation's armed forces on home soil.
"The nation is in mourning for those brave members of our Armed Forces whom we have lost," Carney said on Sunday, adding that he had ordered flags on federal buildings across the country to be flown at half-mast to honour the victims.
National broadcaster CBC previously reported seven fatalities at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Wainwright, citing unnamed sources.
Canadian authorities said the situation continues to evolve, adding that they will not release formal identification and figures until next of kin have been fully notified.
Turkish condolences
Türkiye's Foreign Ministry said that it was deeply saddened by the loss of life caused by the explosion and fire at the base.
"We extend our condolences to the families of those who lost their lives and to the people of Canada and wish a speedy recovery to the injured," the ministry said in a statement.
The explosion and fire erupted on Saturday afternoon at CFB Wainwright, approximately 200 kilometres southeast of Edmonton, with the blaze spreading beyond a training area as strong winds gusting up to 96 km/h hampered firefighting efforts.
The base houses the Canadian Manoeuvre Training Centre, which runs training scenarios for troops deployed from across the country.
Air ambulances transported casualties to hospitals in Edmonton, Calgary, Red Deer, and Wainwright, while Edmonton health staff declared a "code orange" mass-casualty protocol.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police are investigating the incident alongside civilian and military authorities.
