Canada Train Explosion: Criminal Probe Starts

A criminal investigation has been launched after a train carrying crude oil came off the rails and exploded, killing 15 people.

The mangled remains of the train after the explosion in Lac-Megantic

The death toll rose as police gained access to the centre of crash site in Lac-Megantic, near Quebec in Canada, for the first time.

Many of the dozens of people still missing are feared buried in the blackened remains of buildings destroyed by the blast.

The blast destroyed around 30 buildings in the small Canadian town

Inspector Michel Forget, of Quebec Provincial Police, said investigators had discovered "elements" that may point to criminal involvement.

They are examining whether a fire on the train a few hours before the disaster set off the deadly chain of events.

The train travelled downhill for nearly seven miles before derailing

The engine was shut down after the blaze - a standard procedure but one that might have disabled the brakes.

The train broke loose and hurtled down a hill for nearly seven miles before jumping the tracks at 63mph, causing at least five of the 73 cars to explode.

Axle gear was strewn across the town of Lac-Megantic

The blast destroyed around 30 buildings, including a popular nightspot that was packed with people.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper likened the scene to a "war zone" and said the country had witnessed an "unbelievable disaster".

At least five of the freight train's 73 wagons exploded

Local resident Gilles Fluet, who saw the train just before it derailed, said: "It was moving at a hellish speed.

"(There were) no lights, no signals, nothing at all. There was no warning. It was a black blob that came out of nowhere."

Barriers have been placed on rivers to contain the oil spill

Meanwhile, authorities battled to stop waves of crude oil from the disaster reaching the St Lawrence River, an important supply of water for the region.

Yves-Francois Blanchet, the environment and wildlife minister, said the chances of containing the spill were "very slim".

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