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| Petrochemical train explodes in Quebec's Lac-Megantic | Petrochemical train explodes in Quebec's Lac-Megantic |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A driverless train carrying light crude oil has exploded in a Canadian town, forcing the evacuation of 1,000 people. | |
| The blast sent a fireball and black smoke into the air, destroying dozens of buildings in Lac-Megantic, some 155 miles (250 km) east of Montreal. | The blast sent a fireball and black smoke into the air, destroying dozens of buildings in Lac-Megantic, some 155 miles (250 km) east of Montreal. |
| The train's 77 fuel cars reportedly uncoupled from its parked engine and derailed early on Saturday; 120 fire fighters are still fighting the blaze. | |
| Some 60 people are missing, but no casualties have yet been confirmed. | |
| Eyewitnesses reported that the town centre was crowded at the time of the blast, and that "chaos" ensued. | |
| Explosion fears | Explosion fears |
| The Montreal, Maine & Atlantic train had five locomotive engines and 77 cars filled with light crude oil, and was parked outside Lac-Megantic during an overnight driver shift-change, a company spokesman told Canada's La Presse newspaper. | |
| The cars filled with fuel somehow became uncoupled, causing them to roll downhill into the town and derail, said the spokesman, Joe McGonigle. | |
| "It seems that the brakes were tight on locomotives," Mr McGonigle told La Presse. "We found the locomotives higher up, half a mile (800m) away." | "It seems that the brakes were tight on locomotives," Mr McGonigle told La Presse. "We found the locomotives higher up, half a mile (800m) away." |
| Some of the cars exploded, creating a massive fireball and setting fire to nearby homes and businesses. | |
| The fire was still raging more than 12 hours after the incident: A one-kilometre exclusion zone has been set up amid fears of more pressurised containers exploding. | The fire was still raging more than 12 hours after the incident: A one-kilometre exclusion zone has been set up amid fears of more pressurised containers exploding. |
| Quebec police spokesman Sergeant Gregory Gomez del Prado told the BBC: "We do fear that there will be fatalities and from now we're trying to locate the people that are still missing." | Quebec police spokesman Sergeant Gregory Gomez del Prado told the BBC: "We do fear that there will be fatalities and from now we're trying to locate the people that are still missing." |
| 'Everything gone' | 'Everything gone' |
| "When you see the centre of your town almost destroyed, you'll understand that we're asking ourselves how we are going to get through this event," an emotional Mayor Colette Roy-Laroche told a televised news briefing. | "When you see the centre of your town almost destroyed, you'll understand that we're asking ourselves how we are going to get through this event," an emotional Mayor Colette Roy-Laroche told a televised news briefing. |
| Resident Claude Bedard described the scene of the explosions as "dreadful''. | Resident Claude Bedard described the scene of the explosions as "dreadful''. |
| "We've never seen anything like it," he was quoted as saying by the Associated Press news agency. | "We've never seen anything like it," he was quoted as saying by the Associated Press news agency. |
| "The Metro store, Dollarama, everything that was there is gone." | "The Metro store, Dollarama, everything that was there is gone." |
| Firefighters from across the border in the US are helping tackle the blaze. | Firefighters from across the border in the US are helping tackle the blaze. |
| Prime Minister Stephen Harper tweeted: "Thoughts & prayers are with those impacted in Lac Megantic. Horrible news.'' | Prime Minister Stephen Harper tweeted: "Thoughts & prayers are with those impacted in Lac Megantic. Horrible news.'' |
| Some of the train's cargo spilled into the nearby Chaudiere river, said Environment Quebec spokesman Christian Blanchette, adding that communities downstream of Lac-Megantic had been warned to take care if using river water. | Some of the train's cargo spilled into the nearby Chaudiere river, said Environment Quebec spokesman Christian Blanchette, adding that communities downstream of Lac-Megantic had been warned to take care if using river water. |
| A mobile laboratory had been set up to monitor the quality of the air, he added. | A mobile laboratory had been set up to monitor the quality of the air, he added. |
| The train was carrying the crude oil from the Bakken Field in North Dakota. Montreal, Maine & Atlantic owns more than 500 miles of track serving Maine, Vermont, Quebec and New Brunswick. | |
| A lakeside town that is home to some 6,000 people, Lac-Megantic is close to the border with Vermont and just 130 miles north of Maine's capital, Augusta. | A lakeside town that is home to some 6,000 people, Lac-Megantic is close to the border with Vermont and just 130 miles north of Maine's capital, Augusta. |
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