A fifth Canadian service member has died from injuries sustained in the fire at the Wainwright military base in the province of Alberta. Private William Douglas Dal Bianco died on November 13, the Canadian Armed Forces said.
Dal Bianco served with the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry. He had been receiving treatment at a hospital in Ontario following the incident on October 17.
The fire broke out during a live-fire military exercise. The flames engulfed dry vegetation and spread rapidly because of strong winds, reaching the unit’s administrative area.
Wainwright military base is located approximately 207 kilometers southeast of Edmonton. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
A total of 38 service members were injured in the incident. According to the Department of National Defence, 24 of them remain in hospital, while 14 have already been discharged.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney described the tragedy as one of the largest to befall the country’s armed forces on Canadian soil in peacetime.
“Private Dal Bianco and his brothers in arms were training to defend Canada. Although a bright future lay ahead of them, they chose to protect ours. This is called duty. Now we owe them,” Carney wrote.The prime minister expressed his condolences to the family of the fallen service member and to all relatives of the victims and injured. Medical care for the wounded continues, while the investigation into the cause of the fire has not been completed.
Sources: bta.bg, apnews.com