Lac-Megantic residents angry with train company execs
60 in Lac-Megantic disaster: Police
LAC MÉGANTIC, QUE.—The pain was unrelenting.
One family learned, beyond a doubt, that the body of their loved one had been identified.
Then five more bodies were recovered from the wreckage around the derailed train, bringing the total to 20.
And, finally, police delivered the grim news to families of another 30 people that they are almost certainly dead. Some, the coroner's office has said, may never be found
As authorities delivered yet more crushing news in the aftermath of a horrific explosion in downtown Lac-Mégantic, the arrival Wednesday of railway head Edward Burkhardt did little to quell the rage aimed at Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Railways.
Residents milled around the outside of an impromptu media conference that Burkhardt held on the street, with some shouting and heckling. But most in the crowd in this largely francophone town couldn't understand what Burkhardt was saying — it was all in English and there was no French interpreter.
Bruno Huot hurled expletives and insults from the edge of the press conference, at one point shouting, "Go take a walk through the catastrophe."
Michel Poitras, a teacher, said there are "many things I would like to say (about Burkhardt), but I would rather wait until the investigation is over."
His wife, Anne Dumas, buried her face in his shoulder.
"He can apologize, but there's nothing he can do to bring back the victims," said Poitras.
Burkhardt told the media the company has suspended engineer Tom Harding, who left the train unattended on the tracks in nearby Nantes, Que., suggesting he did not set the hand brakes properly.
"He has been suspended. He is not working," Burkhardt said. "He's not being paid. I don't think he'll be back working for us."
The coroner's office declined to release the name of the one victim now positively identified. Spokesperson Genevieve Guilbault said they had decided "a certain discretion is preferable for a certain time" in order to let those family members spread the news to those who have been expecting it for days.
Earlier in the day, Burkhardt had been expected to visit the school that served as an emergency centre in the aftermath of the disaster. Richard Lefebvre arrived there Wednesday morning carrying a sign that read: "No more killer train."
"He could certainly make sure it never happens again," said Lefebvre.
Burkhardt never showed up there. He did spend about 30 minutes answering questions on the street before police officers whisked him away for what they said was questioning.
During that time, the MMA chairman said he doesn't think the employee set the hand brakes properly, though he's previously said proper procedures were followed.
"It's very questionable whether the handbrakes were properly applied on this train," he said. "As a matter of fact, I'll say they weren't or else we wouldn't have had this incident.
"I don't think an employee removed the brakes that were set, I think they failed to set the brakes in the first place."
Harding was described as "one of the better engineers" by one former colleague, Jarod Briggs. He quit the company in 2007 in part over concerns about cutting crews to a single person. MMA is one of just two companies in the country that Transport Canada has approved to run one-person crews.
"He's only one man," said Briggs. "The company cut so deep they couldn't leave two men on the train. How can you justify one person with the human error factor?"
On Wednesday night, Quebec broadcaster TVA reported that Harding was involved in an Aug. 3, 2012 derailment in St-Hyacinthe, Que., that resulted in a special investigation.
The Star is not aware of the result of that investigation, and has not verified the allegations by TVA.
No charges have been laid against anyone relating to Saturday's derailment.
Burkhardt has said the company won't do shift changes in Lac-Mégantic anymore and will no longer leave trains unattended. But Burkhardt said in a two-man crew, an engineer would remain in the locomotive while a conductor goes around to apply handbrakes on the cars. Under a one-person system, the engineer applies the handbrakes.
"We actually think the one-man crews are safer than two-man crews because there's less exposure for employee injuries. And less distraction," he said.
Burkhardt said he didn't come to the town earlier because he felt he was more useful working from his office in Chicago as he dealt with contractors, his insurance company and media. The company has faced heated criticism for its response to the grieving public of this community of 6,000, about 250 kilometres east of Montreal.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Burkhardt said he had not yet visited with victims of the blast. He was denied entry to the epicentre of the blast but he's seen photos of the devastation.
"It's absolutely horrible, it looks like a war zone," he said. He offered the company's "abject" apologies and said he's personally devastated.
Still, the company expects to run trains through Lac-Mégantic again, he said.
"We hope that when the investigations are completed that we can go in and start to make a path through the wreckage and later we'll clean up all the wrecked cars and build track back and start to run trains through here again," he said.
"Very carefully, I might tell you."
Burkhardt said he hoped to meet with the mayor to discuss the idea of moving the tracks to avoid the centre of town, but the level of help MMA could provide depends on its "financial capabilities."
With files from Julian Sher
With files from The Canadian Press
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