Canada train blast: At least one dead

The derailment occurred Saturday in the town of Lac-Megantic, around 250 kilometers (155 miles) east of Montreal, near the US border and state of Maine.

It sparked thunderous explosions that engulfed about 30 buildings in fire, according to media reports.

The accident created a spectacular fireball, said witnesses, who reported as many as six major explosions during the night.

Michel Brunet, a spokesman for Quebec’s provincial police, said at least one person was killed and a second was injured in the incident. Radio-Canada reported some 60 people were unaccounted for.

“There have been several reports” from people who said they were unable to reach relatives who lived near the accident site, Brunet said.

“The fire is still raging, our investigators have not yet even be able to get close to the scene,” Brunet added, more than 12 hours after the train went off the rails at around 1:20 am local time (0520 GMT).

An initial evacuation zone of a kilometer around the crash site was widened Saturday afternoon as a precaution against harmful particles in the air, bringing the total to 2,000 people forced to leave their homes.

Some 150 firefighters were battling the blaze, and the cause of the crash was still unknown.

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