Canada Train Blast: 13 Dead, About 40 Missing

Two days ago in Quebec, Canada, a train of seventy-three tanker cars transporting crude oil derailed into the town of Lac-Meganic. At least five of the cars exploded, destroying thirty buildings and injuring hundreds of citizens. When the site was cleared enough for investigators to go searching for bodies over the weekend, a total of thirteen dead bodies were found and forty were recorded missing. While some suspected an intentional criminal act, the train's owners believed the brakes were at fault.

When the train’s owners claimed that the most likely reason of the incident was brake failure, many people were angered by such a claim. Such emotions are not unreasonable considering the emphasis businesses are expected to put on safety regulations. Losing friends and family in an event that could have been prevented with a little more care is only obvious to incite anger and disbelief to those, who were also forced out of their homes for the same reason.

Railroad use for oil transportation has increased in both Canada and America, raising the question of the safety of this transportation system. Following this Quebec incident, which is the fourth freight train accident to happen in Canada this year alone, many have proposed the idea of an oil pipeline running from Canada across the United States as a safer way of transportation. Lafontaine, who lost three of his family members in this incident, implied that it is, indeed, time for a change by stating "we always wait for until there's a big accident to change things... well, today we've had a big accident, it's one of the biggest ever in Canada." Unfortunately, the possibility of change, as claimed by Lafontaine and seen through both historical and current events, can still only be suggested in the aftermath of such incidents, affecting the lives of those worldwide. 

Article URL
http://www.latimes.com/news/world/worldnow/la-fg-wn-canada-derailment-13-dead-20130708,0,5955542.story