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Lac-Mégantic, Quebec - Oil Train Derailment


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#1 CNJRoss

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Posted 06 July 2013 - 09:57 AM

CBC news, 7/6:

Quebec town rocked by explosions, fire after derailment
Train derailment in Lac-Mégantic forces 1,000 from homes as several reported missing


A train carrying crude oil derailed overnight in the heart of Lac-Mégantic in Quebec's Eastern Townships, sparking a major fire that led to the evacuation of 1,000 people from their homes.

Witnesses reported between four 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.

It is not yet known if there are any casualties, but several people have been reported missing and are feared dead.

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#2 CNJRoss

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Posted 06 July 2013 - 10:02 AM

CNN, 7/6:

Train carrying flammable liquid derails, bursts into flames in Canada

(CNN) -- A train pulling over 70 tankers of crude oil derailed and burst into flames in Canada early Saturday near the U.S. border.

It jumped the tracks in the small town of Lac-Megantic in the province of Quebec, according to officials in Maine, who received a request for help at around 3 a.m. ET.

The inferno spread to nearby homes, and authorities evacuated the center of town and a home for the elderly, CNN affiliate Radio-Canada reported. Thick fuel spilled into the Chaudiere River.

Firefighters from both countries rushed to fight the blaze with at least 27 firefighting vehicles.

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#3 CNJRoss

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Posted 06 July 2013 - 10:09 AM

Daily Mail, London, UK, 7/6:

Breaking news: Canadian town 'wiped out' as freight train carrying hundreds of tons of crude oil derails and explodes
-Town of 1,000 evacuated as acrid smoke fills the air
-Number of potential injuries or deaths unknown


The center of a Quebec town has been wiped out, according to the mayor, after a freight train carrying crude oil derailed and exploded in a fireball at 1am on Saturday.

Parts of the town were evacuated as fireballs shot several metres in the air, flames spread to nearby homes and thick acrid smoke filled the air.

Emergency workers helped about 1,000 residents escape Lac-Megantic, which is close to the Maine border and about 250km from Montreal.

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#4 KevinKorell

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Posted 06 July 2013 - 10:15 AM

Brings back memories of the 1979 incident in Mississauga (near Toronto).


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#5 CNJRoss

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Posted 06 July 2013 - 02:06 PM

Reuters, 7/6:

Runaway freight train explodes, levels center of Canada town


(Reuters) - A driverless freight train carrying tankers of petroleum products derailed at high speed and exploded into a giant fireball in the middle of a small Canadian town early on Saturday, destroying dozens of buildings and leaving an unknown number of people feared missing.

The disaster occurred shortly after 1 a.m. when the runaway train with 73 cars sped into Lac-Megantic, a picturesque lakeside town of about 6,000 people near the border with Maine, and came off the rails. Witnesses said the town center was crowded at the time.

SNIP

An official from Montreal, Maine & Atlantic, the firm that operated the train, said the train had been parked some distance away from the town and no one on board when it derailed.

"We're not sure what happened, but the engineer did everything by the book. He had parked the train and was waiting for his relief ... somehow, the train got released," vice president of marketing Joseph R. McGonigle told Reuters.

Complete article.

#6 KevinKorell

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Posted 06 July 2013 - 02:21 PM

..the train had been parked some distance away from the town and no one on board when it derailed.

If the train was parked, how did it derail? Sounds like somebody got out and forgot to set the brakes, EH??


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#7 KevinKorell

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Posted 06 July 2013 - 03:10 PM

Another article, this one in the Montreal Gazette clearly says several times that the conductor locked the brakes, and another conductor was supposed to take over driving the train later. Perhaps therein lies the problem.

Another conductor was reportedly expected to take over driving the train within a few hours.

The story was updated after 2 PM Saturday to say the winds shifted and other communities are endangered.


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#8 CNJRoss

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Posted 07 July 2013 - 06:45 PM

For Immediate Release:
Dated: Saturday, July 6, 2013
Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway (MMA)


Derailment in Lac-Mégantic, Quebec

At approximately 1:15 AM EST, an eastbound Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway train with 72 carloads of crude oil and 5 locomotive units derailed at the Rue Frontenac road crossing in Lac-Mégantic, Quebec.

Early reports indicate that the train was stopped and tied down by the locomotive engineer at 11:25 PM on the mainline at Nantes, a station approximately 6.8 miles west of Lac Megantic, for a crew change. Subsequently, the train moved downhill into the town of Lac-Mégantic, where the derailment occurred. The engineer was not on the train, but had proceeded to his resting point at a hotel in Lac-Mégantic. He is safe.

Railway personnel were able to pull 13 carloads intact from the site at the rear of the train. At this time we don’t know how many cars are derailed. Further details will be gathered from the event recorder onboard.
We have reports of explosions and buildings in the city on fire, and a number of fatalities and injuries. Emergency response teams are at the site coordinating rescue efforts, but access to the site is limited while they continue to fight the fires.

MMA management and employees are devastated at this news. We extend heartfelt condolences to those residents of Lac-Mégantic who have lost their homes and businesses, and particularly those who have suffered injuries and lost loved ones. We intend to have representatives on site as soon as possible to lend assistance to the community and to deal with individual issues coming out of this disaster.

MMA will cooperate with government safety agencies in determining cause.

We will supplement this information as soon as we can.

# # #



#9 CNJRoss

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Posted 07 July 2013 - 06:52 PM

AP via The Blaze, 7/7:

Death Toll Rises to 5 in Devastating Canada Oil Train Derailment, Dozens Still Missing

LAC-MEGANTIC, Quebec (AP) — As firefighters doused still burning oil tanker cars, more bodies were recovered Sunday in this devastated town in eastern Quebec, raising the death toll to five after a runaway train derailed, igniting explosions and fires that destroyed the downtown district. With dozens of people reported missing, authorities expected to find more bodies once they reached the hardest-hit area.

Quebec provincial police Lt. Michel Brunet said Sunday that at least 40 people are reported missing, but cautioned that the number could fluctuate up or down. Brunet confirmed two more deaths early Sunday afternoon after confirming two people were found dead overnight. One death was confirmed Saturday.

Fires were preventing rescuers from reaching part of the 73-car train, and billowing black smoke could still be seen long after the derailment.

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#10 CNJRoss

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Posted 07 July 2013 - 06:54 PM

The Guardian, London, UK, 7/7:

Driverless train derails in Canada - in pictures

A driverless freight train carrying tankers of crude oil derailed at high speed and exploded into a giant fireball in the middle of Lac-Mégantic, a small town in Quebec, Canada

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