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               More Deaths Expected in Canada Oil Train Explosion

   Many people remain missing in Canada`s Quebec province, a day after a
   train carrying crude oil hurtled off track and exploded in the center
   of a town, destroying dozens of buildings and killing at least one
   person.
   The accident in the lakeside town of Lac-Megantic occurred in the wee
   hours of Saturday morning, when the town center was crowded with
   weekend partygoers.
   Officials have confirmed one fatality, but say they expect the toll to
   rise. Media reports indicate up to 80 people could be missing.
   The derailment caused four of the train`s more than 70 cars to explode
   in the middle of the town, sending a gigantic fireball into the night
   sky. The fires destroyed dozens of buildings, including stores and at
   least one bar, and continued burning for hours as both Canadian and
   U.S. firefighters fought the blazes.
   The accident forced up to 2,000 people to evacuate from their homes - a
   third of Lac-Megantic`s 6,000 residents.
   The cause of the derailment is still not known. The rail company that
   operated the train - the Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway - said the
   train`s conductor parked it shortly before midnight Friday. The rail
   line says it believes the conductor set the brakes properly, but that
   "sometime after, the train got loose," speeding into the town "under
   its own inertia," before derailing.
   Canada`s transportation safety agency is investigating.
   Montreal, Maine & Atlantic owns more than 800 kilometers of track in
   Canada`s Quebec and New Brunswick provinces and the northeastern U.S.
   states of Maine and Vermont.
   Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper called the accident "shocking
   and truly devastating." He said his "thoughts and prayers" are with the
   people of Lac-Megantic and that the government is ready to provide
   assistance.
   Just last week, Canada suffered another derailment of a train carrying
   petroleum products. The train went off track in Calgary, Alberta, when
   a flood-damaged bridge sagged toward the still-swollen Bow River. The
   derailed rail cars were able to be removed without spilling their
   cargo.
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References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/more-deaths-expected-in-canada-oil-train-explosion/1696625.html