Freight train derails crossing Rivière des Milles Îles between Laval and Terrebonne
Officials are surveying the scene Friday after a freight train derailed while crossing a bridge from Terrebonne into Laval.
Laval police Const. Evelyne Boudreau said eight wagons aren't completely on the rail — four are near the tracks but not attached to them, two are hanging off the bridge and two are on the riverbank.
No one was injured in the derailment.
The cars are built to carry cement powder.
Boudreau wouldn't confirm if the derailment, which occurred Thursday, was being investigated as a possible criminal act.
"As of now, a lot of doors have been closed, but they're not all closed," Boudreau said.
Cleanup expected to take days
Laval Mayor Marc Demers said it would take a few days before the site is back to normal.
"Basically, when they move the train, experts will need to see what caused this situation, and after that, we have to repair," Demers said.
Laval firefighters say there is no risk to the environment or waterside residents.
The 107-car train is owned by the Québec-Gatineau Railway, according to Terrebonne fire chief Éric Harnois.
Firefighters and railway employees are on location and working to stabilize the train.
The Laval police took over the cleanup around 5 a.m. There are cranes on the site but no cars have yet been moved.
Structural engineers will also assess the bridge for any damage caused by the derailment.
Part of des Mille-Îles Boulevard in Laval is closed as a result, but police note that it was already closed for road work.
Residents living close to the site of the accident were shaken up by the event.
"It's scary, it really is," said Laval resident Denise Boisvert.
"They are lucky there was nobody that got hurt," she told CBC.
Another local, Bernard Dupont, said he found it upsetting because he lived close to the tracks in Lac-Mégantic, Que., in 2013, when a derailment and explosion there killed 47 people.
"It brings up a few emotions," he said.
He said he was saddened by the incident near his new home, and is happy no one was hurt.
