10 July 2013 Last updated at 18:41 GMT
Engineer blamed for Canada blast
Lac-Megantic resident Adrien Aubert filmed the aftermath of the blast
A
train operator's chief executive has blamed a local engineer for a
runaway train that derailed and exploded in a Quebec town, killing at
least 15.
Rail World boss Edward Burkhardt said he did not believe the
last engineer had set a series of hand brakes, despite the engineer's
protestations.Residents heckled him as he visited Lac-Megantic.
Sixty people are now known to be dead or missing after Saturday morning's disaster.
At least 30 buildings were razed by the fireball from the explosion.
'Risky environment' Making his first visit to the town on Wednesday, Mr Burkhardt said a train engineer had been suspended without pay.
Rail World boss Ed Burkhardt first visited the town on Wednesday
"It's hard to explain why someone didn't do something. We think he applied some hand brakes but the question is did he apply enough of them.
"He said he applied 11 hand brakes. We think that's not true. Initially we believed him but now we don't."
Some 200 officers were still conducting searches on Wednesday morning.
But police said the effort was taking a toll on some crew members and two people had to be taken off the operation over worries for their physical condition.
"This is a very risky environment," said Quebec Provincial Police Sgt Benoit Richard.
On Tuesday, Quebec Police Inspector Michel Forget said investigators had ruled out terrorism as a motive for the attack, but criminal negligence remained under consideration.
"This is an enormous task ahead of us," he said. "We're not at the stage of arrests."
Authorities have asked the relatives of those still missing to provide DNA samples by bringing in toothbrushes, razors and other items.
But the authorities have also warned some of the bodies may have been burnt to ashes in the explosion.
'Partial responsibility' The train, carrying 72 cars of crude oil, was parked shortly before midnight on Friday in the town of Nantes about seven miles (11km) away.
Local firefighters were later called to put out a fire on the train.
While tackling that blaze, they shut down a locomotive that had apparently been left running to keep the brakes engaged.
Shortly afterwards the train began moving downhill in an 18-minute journey, gathering speed until it derailed in Lac-Megantic and exploded.
The fire department and the train's owners have appeared in recent days to point the finger at one another over the disaster.
Mr Burkhardt suggested on Tuesday evening that firefighters shared some blame.
"We don't have total responsibility, but we have partial responsibility," he told reporters in Montreal.
The train was carrying oil from the Bakken oil region in the US state of North Dakota to a refinery on the east coast of Canada.
Are you in Quebec? Did you witness the train blast? Please send us your comments and experiences.
COPY http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/
