“It’s a disaster!” – the President of Latvia expresses condolences following the horrific explosion at the NATO base

According to him, the incident occurred during live-fire exercises, during which, preliminary reports indicate, a gas pipeline on the base was damaged. This led to an explosion and subsequent fire. It is noted that the gusty winds in Alberta province, where the base is located, accelerated the spread of the fire. In Riga, condolences and solidarity are being expressed. “Terrible news about the explosion at the Canadian Forces Base in Wainwright. My sincere condolences to the families and friends of the victims. I wish speedy recovery to all the injured. Latvia stands in solidarity with our Canadian friends and allies at this tragic moment,” wrote the President of Latvia, Edgars Rinkēvičs. Terrible news about the explosion in Canadian Forces Base in Wainwright. My sincere condolences to the families and friends of the victims. I wish speedy recovery to all the injured. Latvia stands in solidarity with our friends and allies at this tragic moment @MarkJCarney— Edgars Rinkēvičs (@edgarsrinkevics) October 18, 2026 "With great sadness, I report that there are fatalities and injuries as a result of the incident at the Canadian military base in Wainwright," said McGuinty to reporters, as reported by Reuters. Warren Tiersk, a physician in the emergency department at Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton, told a reporter from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) that a Code Orange was declared in the city – an emergency protocol that is implemented during major incidents or other large-scale crises. According to the doctor, this was necessary to cope with the large number of patients being brought to city hospitals. "This is a disaster. A disaster of this magnitude happens once every 15–25 years," said the doctor.