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Sixty dead or missing after Lac-Megantic train blast Sixty dead or missing after Lac-Megantic train blast
(35 minutes later)
Sixty people are now thought to be dead or missing after a freight train carrying crude oil derailed and blew up in Quebec, Canadian police say.Sixty people are now thought to be dead or missing after a freight train carrying crude oil derailed and blew up in Quebec, Canadian police say.
Earlier reports said 35 people were unaccounted for after Saturday's Lac-Megantic blast - 15 are confirmed dead.Earlier reports said 35 people were unaccounted for after Saturday's Lac-Megantic blast - 15 are confirmed dead.
Authorities have launched a criminal investigation into what happened, but they have ruled out terrorism.Authorities have launched a criminal investigation into what happened, but they have ruled out terrorism.
They are focusing on whether the train's brakes were engaged when it was parked in a nearby town. The chief executive of the train's US owner is later due to visit the town, where he could face hostility.
The 15 confirmed fatalities have not yet been identified. Rail World's Edward Burkhardt has told media he has received hate messages.
Speeding downhill 'Enormous task'
On Wednesday, the chief executive of the train's US owner, Rail World, was due to visit Lac-Megantic, where he could face a hostile reception. At least 30 buildings were destroyed by the fireball that resulted from Saturday morning's explosion.
In media interviews Edward Burkhardt said he thought he would have to wear a bullet-proof vest when he arrived in the town. But the entire town centre is being treated as a crime scene, with several additional streets cordoned off by police tape.
Quebec Police Inspector Forget said that while investigators had ruled out terrorism as a motive for the attack several other options, including criminal negligence, remained under consideration. Quebec Police Inspector Michel Forget said that while investigators had ruled out terrorism as a motive for the attack several other options, including criminal negligence, remained under consideration.
He warned it could take time before the investigation findings emerge.He warned it could take time before the investigation findings emerge.
"This is an enormous task ahead of us," the police inspector said. "We're not at the stage of arrests.""This is an enormous task ahead of us," the police inspector said. "We're not at the stage of arrests."
Some 200 officers were still conducting search operations on Wednesday morning. But police said the effort was taking a toll on some crewmen and two people had to be taken off the search over worries for their physical condition. Some 200 officers were still conducting search operations on Wednesday morning.
But police said the effort was taking a toll on some crew members and two people had to be taken off the search over worries for their physical condition.
'Very risky'
"This is a very risky environment," said Quebec Provincial Police Sgt Benoit Richard. "We have to secure the safety of those working there. We have some hotspots on the scene. There is some gas.""This is a very risky environment," said Quebec Provincial Police Sgt Benoit Richard. "We have to secure the safety of those working there. We have some hotspots on the scene. There is some gas."
Authorities have asked the relatives of those still missing to provide DNA samples by bringing in toothbrushes, hairbrushes, razors and other items. The 15 confirmed fatalities have not yet been identified.
But the authorities have also warned some of the bodies may have been burnt to ashes in the explosion and may never be recovered. Authorities have asked the relatives of those still missing to provide DNA samples by bringing in toothbrushes, razors and other items.
But the authorities have also warned some of the bodies may have been burnt to ashes in the explosion.
The train, carrying 72 cars of crude oil, was parked shortly before midnight on Friday in the town of Nantes about seven miles (11km) away.The train, carrying 72 cars of crude oil, was parked shortly before midnight on Friday in the town of Nantes about seven miles (11km) away.
An engineer apparently left the train with four of its five locomotives shut down, but kept the final one running to ensure the brakes were engaged. Local firefighters were later called to put out a fire on the train. While tackling that blaze, they shut down a locomotive that an engineer had left running to keep the brakes engaged.
A Nantes fire crew was later summoned to put out a blaze on the train. Shortly afterwards the train began moving downhill in an 18-minute journey, gathering speed until it derailed in Lac-Megantic and exploded.
The train's brakes appear to have failed soon after. It began moving downhill on the track in an 18-minute journey, gathering speed until it derailed in Lac-Megantic and exploded. The fire department and the train's owners have appeared to point the finger at one another over the disaster.
"The extent to which [the fire] played into the sequences of events is a focal point of our investigation," Transportation Safety Board investigator Donald Ross said. The train was carrying oil from the Bakken oil region in the US state of North Dakota to a refinery on the east coast of Canada.
Nantes Fire Chief Patrick Lambert said that his crews had shut down the final locomotive while tackling the initial blaze.
He said this was the standard operating procedure agreed with the train company, Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway (MMA), which is owned by Rail World.
"The people from MMA told us, 'That's great - the train is secure, there's no more fire, there's nothing anymore, there's no more danger,'" the fire chief said. "We were given our leave, and we left."
But MMA says the decision to shut off the locomotive to put out the fire could have disabled the brakes.
At least 30 buildings were destroyed by the fireball that resulted from Saturday morning's explosion, including a store and the public library.
But the entire town centre is being treated as a crime scene, with several additional streets cordoned off by police tape.
Maude Verrault, a waitress at the Musi-Cafe, a nightspot razed by the blast, was outside smoking when she spotted the runaway train.
"I've never seen a train moving so fast in my life, and I saw flames," she told the Associated Press news agency.
"Then someone screamed, 'the train is going to derail!' And that's when I ran."
The train was carrying oil from the Bakken oil region in the US state of North Dakota, taking it to a refinery on the east coast of Canada.
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