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| Canada train blast: Blame game over Lac-Megantic disaster | Canada train blast: Blame game over Lac-Megantic disaster |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A rail firm and fire department appear to be pointing the finger at one another over a Canada oil train blast that has killed at least 13 people. | A rail firm and fire department appear to be pointing the finger at one another over a Canada oil train blast that has killed at least 13 people. |
| Investigators say the tragedy may have been caused by a chain of events stemming from an earlier fire. | Investigators say the tragedy may have been caused by a chain of events stemming from an earlier fire. |
| Shortly after fire crews put out a blaze on the train, it experienced brake failure, ran away and exploded in the Quebec town of Lac-Megantic. | Shortly after fire crews put out a blaze on the train, it experienced brake failure, ran away and exploded in the Quebec town of Lac-Megantic. |
| About 40 people remain missing in the disaster zone. | About 40 people remain missing in the disaster zone. |
| Some 1,200 of the 2,000 people evacuated from Lac-Megantic are being allowed home on Tuesday. | Some 1,200 of the 2,000 people evacuated from Lac-Megantic are being allowed home on Tuesday. |
| 'Focal point' | 'Focal point' |
| The coroner's office has asked families of the missing to provide items such as toothbrushes and combs that might offer DNA samples to help identify the bodies. | |
| The train, carrying 72 cars of crude oil, was parked shortly before midnight on Friday in the town of Nantes. | The train, carrying 72 cars of crude oil, was parked shortly before midnight on Friday in the town of Nantes. |
| An engineer apparently left the train with four of its five locomotives shut down, but kept the final one on to ensure the brakes were engaged. | An engineer apparently left the train with four of its five locomotives shut down, but kept the final one on to ensure the brakes were engaged. |
| Officials in Nantes then received a call about a fire on the train. | Officials in Nantes then received a call about a fire on the train. |
| Transportation Safety Board investigator Donald Ross said: "The extent to which [the fire] played into the sequences of events is a focal point of our investigation." | Transportation Safety Board investigator Donald Ross said: "The extent to which [the fire] played into the sequences of events is a focal point of our investigation." |
| Nantes Fire Chief Patrick Lambert said that while his crews tackled that blaze, the final locomotive was shut down. | |
| He said this was the standard operating procedure agreed with the train's US owner, Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway (MMA). | He said this was the standard operating procedure agreed with the train's US owner, Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway (MMA). |
| MMA says the decision to shut off the locomotive to put out the fire could have disabled the brakes. | MMA says the decision to shut off the locomotive to put out the fire could have disabled the brakes. |
| Shortly afterwards, the driverless train rolled downhill seven miles (11km) before derailing and exploding in Lac-Megantic. | |
| Fire officials said they notified a regional dispatcher for the train company immediately after the initial blaze was put out. | |
| Chief Lambert told reporters: "We told them what we did and how we did it. There was no discussion of the brakes at that time. | Chief Lambert told reporters: "We told them what we did and how we did it. There was no discussion of the brakes at that time. |
| "We were there for the train fire. As for the inspection of the train after the fact, that was up to them." | "We were there for the train fire. As for the inspection of the train after the fact, that was up to them." |
| But MMA's chief executive, Ed Burkhardt, said firefighters should have called an engineer to ensure the train was secure after the blaze. | But MMA's chief executive, Ed Burkhardt, said firefighters should have called an engineer to ensure the train was secure after the blaze. |
| "If they had actually talked to an engineer he would've known immediately what to do about that," Mr Burkhardt said. | "If they had actually talked to an engineer he would've known immediately what to do about that," Mr Burkhardt said. |
| The Chicago-based rail executive is expected this week to visit Lac-Megantic, where he could face a hostile reception. | The Chicago-based rail executive is expected this week to visit Lac-Megantic, where he could face a hostile reception. |
| Media reports quote him as saying he has received a number of hate messages. | Media reports quote him as saying he has received a number of hate messages. |
| At least 30 buildings were destroyed by the fireball that resulted from Saturday morning's explosion, including a store and the public library. | At least 30 buildings were destroyed by the fireball that resulted from Saturday morning's explosion, including a store and the public library. |
| Maude Verrault, a waitress at the Musi-Cafe, a nightspot razed by the blast, was outside smoking when she spotted the runaway train. | |
| "I've never seen a train moving so fast in my life, and I saw flames," she told the Associated Press news agency. | "I've never seen a train moving so fast in my life, and I saw flames," she told the Associated Press news agency. |
| "Then someone screamed, 'the train is going to derail!' And that's when I ran." | "Then someone screamed, 'the train is going to derail!' And that's when I ran." |