On Saturday, July 6th, a train carrying several tanker cars of crude oil destined for the east coast derailed and exploded in the center of the town of Lac Megantic.
The town of about 6000 has lost an estimated 30 buildings in it's central core, including the library and archives. The derailment and subsequent explosion occurred around 1:15 AM on Saturday, and continued to burn well into Sunday.
As would be expected, about 1000 residents had to be evacuated from their homes and the Red Cross has set up a shelter at a local school, receiving about 150 people Saturday night with another 550 registering after that.
Again to be expected is concern over drinking water contamination, not just for Lac Megantic, but also for surrounding towns.
There have been 5 confirmed deaths and about 40 more reported missing.