• published: 06 Jul 2013
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Explosions rock Quebec town of Lac-Megantic after train derailment Train explodes in Lac-Mégantic, Quebec forcing residents to flee Casualties feared after derailment sparks explosions, fire in Quebec town Quebec town rocked by explosions, fire after derailment Train carrying crude oil derails, explodes Sixty missing and scores feared dead as runaway train carrying hundreds of tons of oil derails and explodes in fireball in Canadian town center 60 people believed to be missing About 30 buildings destroyed in Lac Megantic Force of blaze preventing rescue workers from checking for survivors Oil from train cars is spilling into nearby river The center of a Quebec town has been wiped out, according to the mayor, after a runaway freight train carrying crude oil derailed and exploded in a fireball at 1am on Saturday. About 30 buildings were destroyed and 60 people are believed to be missing, but the force of the fire has prevented rescue workers from searching for survivors. Parts of the town were evacuated in the early hours as fireballs shot several metres in the air, flames spread to nearby homes and thick acrid smoke filled the air in Lac-Megantic, which is close to the Maine border and about 250km from Montreal. Scroll down for videos: Fireball: A cloud of fire is blasted into the sky above Lac Megantic after a freight train exploded Explosive: Balls of fire and thick smoke fill the sky above Lac Megantic after a train carrying crude oil derailed Explosive: Balls of fire and thick smoke fill the sky The force of the blaze has prevented emergency workers from getting close to the damaged buildings to check for survivors. It is not yet known if anyone was killed or injured in the blast, according to the Hamilton Spectator. The Montreal Maine & Atlantic train did not have a driver and was being run on autopilot. The train's conductor had parked the train outside the train and got off it as he waited for someone to take over his shift, when it somehow 'got released', the railway company's vice-president Josephy R. McGonigle said. '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,' he added. About 30 shops and homes in the town center, including the library and local weekly newspaper's office, were destroyed by the fire, which is being dealt with by firefighters from Quebec and Maine. 'We do fear that there are going to be casualties,' Sergeant Gregory Gomez del Prado, of Quebec Police, told CTV News. Witnesses said the blast flattened an apartment building and part of a bar, which had a terrace packed with people at the time of the fire, according to CBC. Yvon Rosa had just left the bar when he saw the runaway train. 'I have never seen a train traveling that quickly into the center of Lac-Megantic,' he said. 'I saw the wagons come off the tracks ... everything exploded. In just one minute the center of the town was covered in fire.' The ferocity of the blaze has made authorities fear for the safety of many of the lakeside town's 6,000 residents. About 120 firefighters are still trying to contain the fire in the town center. More... Tennessee man in critical condition after catching fire in a gas station explosion Map reveals how ferocious wildfire curled around Arizona's 19 Hotshot firefighters and made deadly trap they couldn't escape Still burning: Flames and smoke pour from one of the wagons hours after the derailment local municipalities downstream to be careful if they take their water from the Chaudiere River.' Firefighters have set up a perimeter around the town as they try to tackle the blaze, which was caused when four of the cars that were pressurized blew up. Derailment: Smoke is still filling the streets around where the 73-car freight train derailed Pollution: Environmental workers are monitoring the plumes of smoke, as well as contamination of a river 'There are still wagons which we think are pressurized. We're not sure because we can't get close, so we're working on the assumption that all the cars were pressurized and could explode. That's why progress is slow and tough,' local fire chief Denis Lauzon said. The cause of the derailment is not yet known. The railway company's Mr McGonigle, said the middle section of the train had derailed, the Montreal Gazette said. Investigators are headed to the town to begin gathering information and statements from witnesses. Explosions rock Quebec town of Lac-Megantic after train derailment Train explodes in Lac-Mégantic, Quebec forcing residents to flee Casualties feared after derailment sparks explosions, fire in Quebec town Quebec town rocked by explosions, fire after derailment Train carrying crude oil derails, explodes