What happened
An explosion occurred at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta, Canada, during a grenade launcher training exercise, resulting in the deaths of four soldiers and injuring 39 others.
The incident happened on October 17, and the fire spread quickly due to strong winds, with gusts of up to 62mph. A total of 84 soldiers were reportedly training in the area when the explosion occurred.
According to Brigadier-General Vanessa Hanrahan, the fire started during a routine training activity on the base's grenade launcher range, which is considered a 'permanent danger area'. This limited the ability of firefighters to contain the fire as it spread towards the training area.
The Canadian Armed Forces have confirmed that 27 soldiers remain in hospital, with 12 released, and 19 are in critical condition. A team of 50 investigators, led by the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service, is probing the incident.
