Fatal fire at Canadian military base linked to live-fire exercise: official

OTTAWA, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) -- A military base fire that left four people dead and 19 in critical condition in Wainwright, Alberta, Canada, was caused by a live-fire exercise, an official said Sunday.

Major-General Wade Rutland told reporters that soldiers were conducting live-fire exercises Saturday afternoon, including hand grenade training at a range, as part of a tactical drill known as a "section attack."

Strong winds caused the grass fire to spread rapidly, with the flames advancing 1 km in roughly 30 to 60 seconds, according to Rutland.

Currently, 39 injured personnel are receiving hospital treatment, at least 19 of whom are in critical condition.

The general said a specialized military team had inspected local energy infrastructure, and preliminary findings showed no damage, although further inspections will be conducted.

The troops involved were preparing for potential rapid deployment to global hotspots within hours and were also conducting pre-deployment training for a rotation to Latvia, the military official added.