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| Lac-Mégantic train crash: first official victim named | Lac-Mégantic train crash: first official victim named |
| (about 17 hours later) | |
| The number of bodies found has risen to 24 after the fiery weekend derailment of an oil train in Quebec. | |
| Authorities have said everyone still missing in early Saturday's disaster is presumed dead, meaning 50 were killed in Canada's worst railway disaster in nearly 150 years. | Authorities have said everyone still missing in early Saturday's disaster is presumed dead, meaning 50 were killed in Canada's worst railway disaster in nearly 150 years. |
| The intensity of the fire has slowed identification of the dead. The first to be identified by the coroner's office was 93-year-old Eliane Parenteau. | The intensity of the fire has slowed identification of the dead. The first to be identified by the coroner's office was 93-year-old Eliane Parenteau. |
| Crews have continued working to find the remains of all 50 people presumed dead in Saturday's catastrophic oil train derailment, as the Quebec premier, Pauline Marois, toured the traumatised town and took train company's chief to task for not visiting sooner. | Crews have continued working to find the remains of all 50 people presumed dead in Saturday's catastrophic oil train derailment, as the Quebec premier, Pauline Marois, toured the traumatised town and took train company's chief to task for not visiting sooner. |
| Marois arrived in Lac-Mégantic as workers continued searching the wreckage and ruins for the remaining bodies. | Marois arrived in Lac-Mégantic as workers continued searching the wreckage and ruins for the remaining bodies. |
| Edward Burkhardt, the president and CEO of US-based Rail World Inc, which owns the runaway train, arrived on Wednesday with a police escort and faced jeers from residents. | Edward Burkhardt, the president and CEO of US-based Rail World Inc, which owns the runaway train, arrived on Wednesday with a police escort and faced jeers from residents. |
| Marois had earlier faulted Burkhardt for what she said was a slow response and called the company's chief behaviour "deplorable" and "unacceptable". She renewed some of the criticism on Thursday. "I already commented on his behaviour and the behaviour of his company yesterday. The leader of this company should have been there from the beginning," Marois said at a news conference. | Marois had earlier faulted Burkhardt for what she said was a slow response and called the company's chief behaviour "deplorable" and "unacceptable". She renewed some of the criticism on Thursday. "I already commented on his behaviour and the behaviour of his company yesterday. The leader of this company should have been there from the beginning," Marois said at a news conference. |
| Burkhardt said he had delayed his visit in order to deal with the crisis from his office in Chicago, saying he was better able to communicate from there with insurers and officials in different places. He was planning to meet with residents and the mayor. | Burkhardt said he had delayed his visit in order to deal with the crisis from his office in Chicago, saying he was better able to communicate from there with insurers and officials in different places. He was planning to meet with residents and the mayor. |
| "I understand the extreme anger," he said. "We owe an abject apology to the people in this town." | "I understand the extreme anger," he said. "We owe an abject apology to the people in this town." |
| Burkhardt has blamed the engineer for failing to set the brakes properly before the unmanned train hurtled down a seven-mile (11km) incline, derailed and ignited in the centre of Lac-Mégantic early on Saturday. All but one of its 73 cars were carrying oil and at least five exploded. | Burkhardt has blamed the engineer for failing to set the brakes properly before the unmanned train hurtled down a seven-mile (11km) incline, derailed and ignited in the centre of Lac-Mégantic early on Saturday. All but one of its 73 cars were carrying oil and at least five exploded. |
| Burkhardt said the train's engineer had been suspended without pay and was under "police control". | Burkhardt said the train's engineer had been suspended without pay and was under "police control". |
| Investigators had spoken with Burkhardt during his visit, said a police official, Sergeant Benoit Richard. He did not elaborate. | Investigators had spoken with Burkhardt during his visit, said a police official, Sergeant Benoit Richard. He did not elaborate. |
| Until Wednesday the railway company had defended its employees' actions but that changed abruptly as Burkhardt singled out the engineer. "We think he applied some handbrakes but the question is, did he apply enough of them?" Burkhardt said. "He said he applied 11 handbrakes. We think that's not true. Initially we believed him but now we don't." | Until Wednesday the railway company had defended its employees' actions but that changed abruptly as Burkhardt singled out the engineer. "We think he applied some handbrakes but the question is, did he apply enough of them?" Burkhardt said. "He said he applied 11 handbrakes. We think that's not true. Initially we believed him but now we don't." |
| Burkhardt did not name the engineer, though the company had previously identified the employee as Tom Harding of Quebec. Harding has not spoken publicly since the crash. | Burkhardt did not name the engineer, though the company had previously identified the employee as Tom Harding of Quebec. Harding has not spoken publicly since the crash. |
| "He's not in jail but police have talked about prosecuting him," Burkhardt said. "I understand exactly why the police are considering criminal charges … If that's the case let the chips fall where they may." | "He's not in jail but police have talked about prosecuting him," Burkhardt said. "I understand exactly why the police are considering criminal charges … If that's the case let the chips fall where they may." |
| Investigators are looking at a fire on the same train hours before the disaster. A fire official has said the train's power was shut down as standard operating procedure, meaning its air brakes would have been disabled. In that case handbrakes on individual train cars would have been needed. | Investigators are looking at a fire on the same train hours before the disaster. A fire official has said the train's power was shut down as standard operating procedure, meaning its air brakes would have been disabled. In that case handbrakes on individual train cars would have been needed. |
| The derailment is Canada's worst railway disaster since a train plunged into a Quebec river in 1864, killing 99. | The derailment is Canada's worst railway disaster since a train plunged into a Quebec river in 1864, killing 99. |
| The crash has raised questions about the rapidly growing use of rail to transport oil in North America, especially in the booming North Dakota oilfields and Alberta oilsands far from the sea. | The crash has raised questions about the rapidly growing use of rail to transport oil in North America, especially in the booming North Dakota oilfields and Alberta oilsands far from the sea. |
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