OTTAWA, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) -- Canadian Defence Minister David McGuinty confirmed Saturday night that a serious incident occurred earlier in the day at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Wainwright in western Alberta province, causing casualties.
Speaking at a press conference in Ottawa, McGuinty said the Department of National Defence is closely monitoring the situation and will release more details as they become available.
The minister did not provide a specific number of fatalities, saying that it is still a "very active and delicate situation."
"We will have more to say in the coming hours and days," he said.
The base has not yet issued a statement on the specific cause of the incident or any casualties.
Local media reported that an explosion and subsequent fire at CFB Wainwright killed at least seven people and injured dozens of others. The report said live-fire training exercises were underway at the base when munitions may have struck a natural gas pipeline or gas well, triggering the explosion.
According to local media citing health officials, hospitals in Edmonton, the provincial capital, have been placed on Code Orange alert to handle a mass influx of incoming patients.
Located about 200 km southeast of Edmonton, CFB Wainwright covers over 600 square km. It is one of the busiest Army bases in Canada, and home to the Canadian Manoeuvre Training Centre and the 3rd Canadian Division Training Centre, according to the government website.
High winds were reportedly spreading the fire rapidly toward adjacent areas following the incident. The fire burning south of the town of Wainwright is now being held, according to the Municipal District of Wainwright. ■