1 dead, many missing after Quebec train blasts
One person has been declared dead after a train derailment in the tight-knit community of Lac-Megantic, Que., sparked explosions and a major blaze.
The train carrying crude oil derailed overnight in the heart of the small town in Quebec's Eastern Townships, forcing close to 2,000 people from their homes.
Witnesses reported between five and six explosions overnight in the town of about 6,000 people. The derailment happened at about 1 a.m. ET, about 250 kilometres east of Montreal. About 1,000 people were evacuated from their homes overnight, and several hundred more also left their homes on Saturday afternoon because of air quality concerns.
Quebec provincial police confirmed one death on Saturday afternoon, and Sgt. Grégory Gomez del Prado told CBC it's possible up to 100 people could be missing, although he said it is difficult to pin down an exact number.
“It’s like the town has been cut by a knife,” he said, referring to the fire that tore through the community's downtown.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper sent his thoughts out to the community on Saturday afternoon. He said the government was monitoring the situation and was standing ready to provide extra support.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families and friends of those affected by this morning's tragic train derailment," he said in a statement. “We hope evacuees can return to their homes safely and quickly," he said.
Zeph Kee, who lives about 30 minutes outside of Lac-Mégantic, said he saw a huge fireball coming from the city's downtown early Saturday morning.
The area surrounding the explosion site was a popular place on the evenings, and witnesses said the bars and restaurants were bustling with people when the first explosion hit.
Kee said one of the bars, which was packed with people enjoying their drinks on the patio, is now gone along with dozens of other buildings and homes that were flattened by the blast.
"It was total mayhem … people not finding their kids," Kee said.
Isabelle Aller, who was visiting the area, says she has been calling her friends ever since the explosion, and they haven't answered their phones.
"The more time that passes, the more we are worried," she said.
Aller says after the first explosion, some people went to the scene to see what was going on.
Several explosions followed afterwards.
The teary-eyed mayor of Lac-Mégantic, Colette Roy-Laroche, said emergency services are doing everything possible to deal with the crisis.
"We have deployed all resources to ensure that we can support our citizens," she said.
A spokesperson for Quebec's Environment Ministry says 73 rail cars filled with crude oil were involved. At least four of the cars exploded, sending a huge cloud of thick, black smoke into the air.
The fire, which can be seen for several kilometres, spread to a number of homes. Authorities say some 30 buildings were affected.
"It's dreadful," said Lac-Mégantic resident Claude Bédard. "It's terrible. We've never seen anything like it. The Metro store, Dollarama, everything that was there is gone."
More than 150 firefighters, some from as far away as Sherbrooke, Que., and the United States, worked from the early Saturday morning to bring the flames under control. While the fire continued to burn in the afternoon, authorities said it had been contained.
A large but as-yet undetermined amount of fuel is also reported to have spilled into the Chaudière River. Some residents say the water has turned an orange colour. Mayor Roy-Laroche assured the public that the town's drinking-water supply is safe, and she encouraged residents to limit their water consumption as much as possible.
Experts from Environment Quebec were also on the scene to keep an eye on the town's air quality.
The derailed train belongs to Montreal Maine & Atlantic, which owns more than 800 kilometres of track serving Maine, Vermont, Quebec and New Brunswick, according to the company's website.
CBC's French service, Radio-Canada, has reported there was no one on board the train, which was being remotely operated.
The cause of the derailment is under investigation. A spokesperson for Quebec provincial police said it is still too early to say what could have caused the deadly incident.
