Canada - 47 killed as train explodes, Lac-Megantic, QC, 6 July 2013

[wfgodot]

CNN Breaking News ‏@cnnbrk 1m
Five more bodies recovered from train derailment in Quebec, raising the death toll to 33, police say

.....

 

[matou]

7 more Lac-Mégantic victims named by coroner
9 people identified, 33 bodies found

The Quebec coroner's office released the names of seven more vicitms of the Lac-Mégantic disaster on its website Saturday night. Spokesperson Geneviève Guilbault said the families of the victims had been notified 24 hours before the names were released to the public.

The names of those identified are:

Frédéric Boutin, 19 years old
Kathy Clusiault, 24 years old
Élodie Turcotte, 18 years old
Yannick Bouchard, 36 years old
Karine Lafontaine, 35 years old
Maxime Dubois, 27 years old
Mélissa Roy, 29 years old
The identity of 93-year-old Éliane Parenteau was first released July 11.

Guilbault said an additional victim has been identified, and that person's name will be released to the public Monday morning.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/story/2013/07/14/coroner-7-named-lac-megantic-coroner.html

 

[wfgodot]

Faces of the Quebec oil train tragedy: Heartbreaking first pictures of those
feared to have died when a runaway engine derailed and exploded in Canada. (Daily Mail)

 

[matou]

Quebec provincial police say they have recovered the bodies of two additional victims in Lac-Mégantic, bringing the total found to 37.

Sûreté du Québec Insp. Michel Forget said Monday that emergency crews have been searching the disaster site every day from early in the morning to sunset, working 15 minute shifts because of the extreme heat, which peaked today at 52 C. Forget said one emergency worker received medical treatment for a minor heat-related illness.

........

Survivors begin class-action lawsuit
A group of Lac-Mégantic, Que., citizens is preparing a class-action against the owners of the Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Railway, after one of its trains carrying dozens of tank-cars of crude oil derailed and exploded July 6, destroying the town's core.

The petition was filed on behalf of Yannick Gagne, owner of the Musi-Café, which was destroyed by the blast, and Guy Ouellet, whose wife died in the disaster.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/story/2013/07/15/quebec-lac-megantic-rail-disaster.html

 

[BunnyHop]

Thanks all for posting.
Terrible tragedy.
Prayers to all in this lovely town.

:heartbeat::heartbeat::heartbeat:

 

[matou]

The destruction was so shocking it even caused one local reporter to burst into tears.

Until now, access has been limited to authorities and a few politicians — including Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who had compared it to a site ravaged by war.

The close-up, hour-long tour revealed a scene worse than imagined and gave an idea of just how much destruction the oil tankers wrought on the centre of the town.

A group of journalists were brought inside the perimeter by bus, then escorted on foot to view flattened buildings, twisted heaps of metal, and trees reduced to sticks of charcoal.

Excellent photos here and an full schematic of what is thought to have occurred.

http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/0...ineer-breaks-his-silence-says-hes-devastated/

 

[mysteriew]

First glimpse at Lac-Megantic disaster site shows scale of devastation
http://bangordailynews.com/2013/07/...tic-disaster-site-shows-scale-of-devastation/

 

[mysteriew]

So many people here want to give but what will help Lac-Megantic the most?

That’s the question a local group intends to ask the Mayor of Lac-Megantic, Colette Roy-Laroche, when they travel there for a brief meeting Wednesday, said Ryan Morgan, chair of the Farmington Board of Selectmen....
http://bangordailynews.com/2013/07/...ounty-group-to-visit-lac-megantic/?ref=latest

 

[mysteriew]

Inside the Brutal Clean-up Efforts in Lac-Megantic
by Christine Pelisek Jul 16, 2013 4:45 AM EDT


In train-wrecked Lac-Megantic, basements are flooded with six feet of fuel—and above ground, it’s still too hot for rescue workers to last more than 15 minutes.


So far, crews have searched 70 percent of the commercial buildings and homes damaged by the blaze. “We will look till we find the last body,” said Brunet.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articl...-brutal-clean-up-efforts-in-lac-megantic.html


37 bodies have been found.

 

[matou]

Lac-Mégantic toll rises to 42
Remains of 4 more victims recovered from red-zone

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/story/2013/07/18/quebec-lac-megantic-relief-fund-charity.html

 

[Snoopster]

So many people here want to give but what will help Lac-Megantic the most?

That’s the question a local group intends to ask the Mayor of Lac-Megantic, Colette Roy-Laroche, when they travel there for a brief meeting Wednesday, said Ryan Morgan, chair of the Farmington Board of Selectmen....
http://bangordailynews.com/2013/07/...ounty-group-to-visit-lac-megantic/?ref=latest

That is so touching. What wonderful neighbours.

Thank you to all of you Americans who want to help the folks in Lac Megantic.
:grouphug:

There are so many day to day tragedies. Clearly, if one person is killed in a car accident, that is no less of a tragedy to their loved ones than a mass accident. However, it is wonderful to see when a group of people rally around another group of people who are hurting.

We see so much of the negative side of humanity here on WS, yet we must never forget that the vast majority of humanity are lovely people, who all want the same things -- love, hope, family.

 

[matou]

Paul Mccartney is giving free tickets to his Quebec City show the survivors of the disaster.

http://www.thestar.com/entertainmen..._paul_mccartney_offers_free_show_tickets.html

 

[Miss_Diana]

Paul Mccartney is giving free tickets to his Quebec City show the survivors of the disaster.

http://www.thestar.com/entertainmen..._paul_mccartney_offers_free_show_tickets.html

At first I thought that read: He was giving them the proceeds FROM the concert.

 

[matou]

At first I thought that read: He was giving them the proceeds FROM the concert.

That would be nice too!

 

[Blondie in Spokane]

http://www.cnn.com/2013/07/19/world/americas/canada-runaway-train/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

Canadian officials find 'insufficient' braking on deadly runaway train

 

[Snoopster]

When I was shopping at Costco the other day (in Ontario) they were collecting at the cash registers for Lac Megantic.

When I filled up with gas today at Petro-Canada, there was an electronic fund-raising message on the gas pumps.

I heard on the radio news the other night that there were billboards in Toronto, asking for support for Lac Megantic.

And now I see this:

About 1,000 people ran the 12 kilometres from the Eastern Townships community of Nantes Que. to Lac-Mégantic on Sunday afternoon.

It was a show of support for the town that was rocked by a catastrophic train explosion earlier this month. Many of the runners wore green, the colour of hope.

Red Cross volunteers were at the finish line to collect donations for the people of Lac-Mégantic.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/story/2013/07/21/montreal-lac-megantic-nantes-eastern-townships-train-charity.html

Let's keep up the support!

 

[matou]

Lac Megantic train explosion: Police raid MMA rail company office

Quebec provincial police have raided the Canadian head office of the rail company behind the deadly July 6 train explosion in Lac-Megantic.

Investigators have not revealed what evidence they have gathered from the blast site or what type of charges may be in store, but they have suggested that it might involve a finding of negligence rather than something deliberate that led to the crash that levelled the town’s main commercial strip, a popular bar where dozens were gathered and about 30 homes.

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/...sion_police_raid_mma_rail_company_office.html

 

[Snoopster]

There was a lovely, poignant memorial service for the 47 victims this morning.

A church was packed, with the overflow crowd spilling out into the surrounding streets, for a memorial service Saturday three weeks after a train derailment devastated Lac-Megantic, Que.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper was among the numerous politicians attending the service, which featured emotional tributes to the 47 people killed in the disaster.

http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/07/27/stephen-harper-among-political-whos-who-in-lac-megantic-to-pay-tribute-to-train-disaster-victims/

 

[Blondie in Spokane]

http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/...ebec-train-disaster-files-for-bankruptcy?lite

Railroad in Quebec train disaster files for bankruptcy

 

[wfgodot]

Canada rail disaster firm sanctioned. (BBC News)
Canada suspends operating licence of rail firm involved in last month's Quebec fuel train disaster, officials say.

BBC says "more to follow."