Nine years since Lac-Mégantic railway tragedy
Posted July 6, 2022 9:00 am.
Last Updated July 6, 2022 12:44 pm.
It’s been nine years since the Lac-Mégantic tragedy, Canada’s deadliest railway accident in over a century.
On July 6, 2013, an unattended 73-car freight train carrying crude oil derailed and exploded in Lac-Mégantic, a rural town of 6,000 in the Eastern Townships of Quebec.
47 people were killed in the accident and it destroyed much of the town’s core.
All but three of the 39 remaining buildings had to be demolished due to petroleum contamination.
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A memorial was built to honor the victims in 2020, at the site of the former Musi-Café in the heart of the town, where staff and patrons made up many of the victims.
The federal government is currently working on a railway bypass in Lac-Mégantic. It’s original completion date of 2023 has been delayed.
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Quebec Premier François Legault posted a message on Twitter Wednesday: “9 years ago, Quebec experienced a tragedy. We must remember, today, the 47 victims who perished in Lac-Mégantic on July 6, 2013. I offer my most sincere condolences to the loved ones of those who died. My thoughts are with all the people of Mégantic.”
Il y a 9 ans, le Québec vivait une tragédie. On doit se souvenir, aujourd’hui, des 47 victimes ayant péri à Lac-Mégantic le 6 juillet 2013. J’offre mes plus sincères condoléances aux proches des disparus. Mes pensées accompagnent toutes les Méganticoises & tous les Méganticois.
— François Legault (@francoislegault) July 6, 2022
