Town of Lac Megantic reels in onslaught of wreck

The 6,000 or so people of Lac Megantic in the historic Eastern Townships of Quebec are reeling today. Their small downtown business district is aflame and unknown numbers of their neighbors are unaccounted for after an explosive train wreck that has gripped the attention of the world. One person is confirmed dead. The tanker train carrying thousands of barrels of crude oil went off the tracks and detonated an inferno that is still blazing 12 hour later. As many as 1,000 people are forced out of their their homes in the town, which is about 250 kilometres east of Montreal. Flames and billowing smoke could be seen several hours after the derailment, which involved a 73-car train carrying crude oil. Authorities set up perimeters as firefighters battled to douse the persistent blaze which was still going despite a steady drizzle. Worried residents looked on behind the perimeters amid fears some of their friends and loved ones may have died in bars and in their homes after the derailment, which occurred shortly after 1 a.m. Lac Megantic is a storied corner of Quebec. The town takes it name from the picturesque fresh water lake which  sustained colonial life in the area in previous centuries.