Canada Train Derailment Causes 60 Missing People

Credit: Video Curtesy of Adrien Aubert, CBS NEWS

Lac-Megantic, Quebec (CNN)- An oil carrier train derailment causes 60 people missing.  The train jumped off the track at at least 63 mph.  At least sixty people were missing after the train entered into downtown Quebec and ignited after derailing the tracks.  Authorities said 15 people were found dead at the scene and were unidentified.  Quebec police are probing investigations to the cause of the explosion.  

According to CNN, Quebec Police Inspector Michel Forget ruled out terrorism as the cause of the derailment, as others differ ruling out terrorism until further evidence.  Officials also observed that the train was tampered with before leaving to Quebec. The train carried at least 73 tanks of oil and five barrels exploded.  The reports reveal that the cars carrying the tanks DONT-111 steel shell is very thin and prone to punctuation, that can cause the oil to leak and ignite explosion that could create a toxic environment, and were part of the American freight rail fleet.

President and CEO Edward Burkhardt, who directs Rail World, Inc. was going to Lac-Megantic.  Some of the surrounding buildings were set ablaze by the fire.  Transportation Safety Board Officials  Manager Ed Belkaloul, stated that emergencies are not usually put on short journey railways but the longer ones, and rail dispatchers were wouldn't of had enough time to warn rail monitors about the incident. Figherfighters quickly came to the scene to calm the fire.  However Burkhard exclaimed that the officials and the firemen at the scene were taking "partial respondsibility," for unintentionally aware of the consequences of shutting the locomotive down.  The Officials observation was that the shutting down of the train could of disabled the brakes, causing the train to derail.

Officials are also operating to prevent oil spills in the St. Lawrence River, the source that supply the province with water. Hundreds of residents were forced to evacuate for a period of time from their homes and advised if possible to avoid drinking tap water.

Nantes Fire Chief Patrick Lambert said reported that the same train caught fire in a town nearby.Donald Ross, Transportation Safety Board investigator stated that the "black box was recovered" and what started the explosion is the main focus of the investigation.

The U.S. Federal Railroad Administration reports  that MMA has had 34 derailments from 2003 and til now and has over $100,000 in damages.  There are talks in the air of improving Canada's transportation of oil with a proposition of a pipeline that will connect from Canada to the U.S.