New: 4 Soldiers Killed, 39 Injured in Explosion, Fire at Canadian Military Base

Four Canadian soldiers were killed and 39 others injured in an explosion and fire at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta over the weekend, ABC News reported, and Prime Minister Mark Carney has sent 50 investigators to find out what happened.

The fire broke out in the base’s training area at about 4 p.m. local time on Saturday and, fanned by high winds, spread beyond the base into the surrounding rural area. Multiple military sources told Global News that the incident happened during a live-fire exercise and that a gas line or gas well was struck and ignited. Investigators have not confirmed what started the fire, and officials say it could take weeks to find out. Canada’s Department of National Defence said there were no indications of terrorist activity.

Soldiers Killed

The military named the dead as Sgt. Morgan Wong, and Privates Shaun Farrell, Aidan Goulding and Hayden Lykkemark. Nineteen of the injured were in critical condition on Monday, and Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, whose riding includes Wainwright, said many suffered severe burns and could need weeks or months of intensive care. The soldiers had been training ahead of a deployment to Latvia.

Carney led a moment of silence in Parliament on Monday, saying members were “united in grief”. The Canadian Forces National Investigation Service is leading the probe with support from the RCMP, and King Charles issued a statement saying he and Queen Camilla were greatly shocked and saddened.

Sources: ABC News; TNND; Global News.

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Soldiers Killed