About 40 people were still missing a day after a runaway train derailed in Quebec, igniting explosions and fires that destroyed a busy downtown district and killed five people.
Police said a higher death toll was inevitable, and authorities feared the number might soar once they’re able to reach the hardest-hit areas. Worries remained over the status of two oil-filled train cars.
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper compared the area to a war zone and said about 30 buildings were incinerated. Quebec provincial police Sgt. Benoat Richard said only a small part of the devastated area had been searched yesterday, more than a day since the accident, because firefighters were making sure all fires were out.
The train’s 72 oil-filled tanker cars somehow came loose early Saturday morning, sped downhill nearly seven miles (11 km) into the town, derailed and began exploding one by one. At least five exploded.
The eruptions sent residents of Lac-Megantic scrambling through the streets under the intense heat of towering fireballs and a red glow that illuminated the night sky. The district is a popular area packed with bars that often bustles on summer weekend nights. Police said the first explosion tore through the town shortly after 1 am. Local time. Fire then spread to several homes.
Two tanker cars were burning Sunday morning, and authorities were still worried about them yesterday evening. Local Fire chief Denis Lauzon said firefighters were staying 500 feet (150 meters) from the tankers, which were being doused with water and foam to keep them from overheating.
“This is an unbelievable disaster,” said Harper, who toured the town on Sunday. “This is an enormous area, 30 buildings just completely destroyed, for all intents and purposes incinerated. There isn’t a family that is not affected by this.”
The growing number of trains carrying crude oil in Canada and the United States had raised concerns of a major derailment.
One death was confirmed Saturday. Police confirmed two people were found dead overnight and confirmed two more deaths on Sunday afternoon. The charred remains were sent to Montreal for identification.
A coroner’s spokeswoman said it might not be possible to recover some of the bodies because of the intensity of the blasts.
Locals were convinced the death toll was far higher than five. Anne-Julie Huot, 27, said at least five friends and about 20 acquaintances remained unaccounted for. She said she was lucky to be working that night, otherwise she likely would have been at a popular bar that was leveled in the blast.
“I have a friend who was smoking outside the bar when it happened, and she barely got away, so we can guess what happened to the people inside,” Huot said. “It’s like a nightmare. It’s the worst thing I can imagine.”
About a third of the community of 6,000 was forced out of their homes. The town is about 155 miles (250 km) east of Montreal and just west of the Maine border.