Quebec train fire: The small town of Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Canada, is still burning as calls flood in to report missing loved ones.
A 73-car train carrying crude oil derailed in the town of about 6,000 people Saturday, 135 miles north of Maine. Canadian authorities fear the death toll may rise considerably above the one confirmed death thus far. They could not give a number for how many are missing, as some missing persons have been reported multiple times by various friends and family members, and it is still difficult to gather such information with certainty.
Canadian publication the Globe and Mail reported “dozens” are missing. Guy Lapointe of the Quebec Provincial Police told ABC News on Saturday, “We can’t even get in there at this point.”
“The heat that’s given away from the fire is preventing us from getting really close in, so we’re going to have to wait for the firemen to finish their work,” he said.
On Saturday night, he said five of the tanker cars might still explode, preventing rescue crews from accessing part of the town, according to CTV News.
The train was unmanned, as the conductor had left for the night on Friday. On Saturday at 1 a.m., the train rushed into the downtown area, derailing and exploding near a packed bar. At least 30 buildings were destroyed and 1,500–2,000 people evacuated.
The train was parked uphill of the town. Edward Burkhardt, president and CEO of Rail World Inc., the parent company of Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway, said: “If brakes aren’t properly applied on a train, it’s going to run away. … But we think the brakes were properly applied on this train.”
“We’ve had a very good safety record for these 10 years,” he said of the decade-old railroad. “Well, I think we’ve blown it here.”
Prime Minister Stephen Harper is visiting Lac-Megantic Sunday. On Saturday, Harper expressed sympathy in a statement: “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families and friends of those affected by this morning’s tragic train derailment and subsequent fires in Lac-Megantic, Quebec. ... We hope evacuees can return to their homes safely and quickly. The people of Lac-Megantic and surrounding areas can rest assured that our government is monitoring the situation and we stand by ready to provide any assistance requested by the province.”
An emotional Mayor Colette Roy-Laroche told a televised news briefing, “When you see the center of your town almost destroyed, you'll understand that we’re asking ourselves how we are going to get through this event.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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