Americas

Home page

Americas

Petrochemical train explodes in Quebec's Lac-Megantic

06 July 2013 22:59 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. A driverless train carrying light crude oil has exploded in a Canadian town, forcing the evacuation of 1,000 people, APA reports quoting local media.

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

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.