The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has expressed his condolences to Canada following a fire at the Wainwright military base, which resulted in fatalities and left dozens injured.
“Every human life lost is a tragedy. Canada has done so much to help us protect lives in Ukraine, and we offer our condolences to Prime Minister Mark Carney and all Canadians following the explosion and fire at the military base in Wainwright. Our thoughts are with the families and loved ones of those who have died. We wish the injured a speedy recovery,” Zelenskyy wrote on social media platform X.
According to the latest reports, four soldiers died in the fire and at least 39 others were injured. Nineteen of them are in a critical condition, and doctors are fighting to save their lives.
A major fire broke out on 17 October at the Wainwright military base in the Canadian province of Alberta. Dry grass caught fire at around 4.00 pm local time during large-scale live-fire exercises.
Initially, the military believed the situation was under control; however, due to strong winds, the fire suddenly changed direction. The flames spread a kilometre almost instantly, engulfing the soldiers’ positions and beginning to spread towards the administrative area.