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Overturned wooden railcars, piles of twisted scrap metal and other debris are being cleared from the site of a train derailment northeast of Montreal, while investigators from the Transportation Safety Board of Canada are inspecting the scene.
The cause of the derailment of the Canadian National Railway Company (CN) train on Sunday afternoon in Repentigny’s Le Gardeur sector has not yet been determined.
In a statement, the TSB said it would “gather information and assess the occurrence.”
Police spokesperson Sgt. Bruno Marier said calls reporting the incident in the city of about 90,000 people were logged at around 4:30 p.m.
No one was killed or injured. But Marier said the derailment caused damage after some fences were torn down by the train.
In a statement to Radio-Canada Monday, CN said 46 railcars derailed. Urgence-Environnement had initially estimated that between 20 and 30 railcars had left the tracks.
WATCH | Drone footage of the damage:
Drone footage captures aftermath of train derailment in Repentigny, Que.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is investigating a train derailment that occurred northeast of Montreal on Sunday afternoon. No one was injured or killed, and cleanup is underway, which is expected to take several days.
Officials also said CN carried out an inspection of all the train cars and confirmed no hazardous materials were on board.
Three railcars that had previously transported diesel fuel were involved in the derailment, but CN confirmed they were empty at the time of the incident.
As a precaution, Hydro-Québec cut power to the area on Sunday, noting it affected more than 2,600 clients in the Lanaudière region.
Monday morning, Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette said she felt great compassion for the residents living near the railroad tracks.
“These people will certainly need support, particularly psychological support. That support is available,” she said, encouraging people to contact Santé Québec.
‘We’ll be scared when the train comes back’: resident
Nicolas Dufour, the mayor of Repentigny, said recommendations resulting from the investigation would be implemented as quickly as possible. (Rowan Kennedy/CBC)
Repentigny Mayor Nicolas Dufour told Radio-Canada’s Tout un matin that power has since been restored in the area and residents who were evacuated — more than 200 — have returned home.
“We were lucky in our misfortune, thank God. No citizen was injured, and there were no hazardous substances in the tanks,” Dufour said.
He said CN crews have begun clearance operations, while police and firefighters remained on site Monday morning.
“It’s time to start cleaning up, but above all to start asking ourselves how such a tragedy could have happened in our sector,” he said.
“The train and the residences have always coexisted well,” he said. “We’re struggling to understand what could have caused the issue.”
WATCH | Residents shaken after derailment:
Repentigny residents shaken after train derailed just metres away from their homes
Forty-six railcars derailed northeast of Montreal on Sunday afternoon, close to some residents’ backyards. There were no injuries or deaths.
Dufour said any recommendations stemming from the investigation would be implemented as quickly as possible.
He added that the cleanup is expected to take several days and that the city will keep residents informed of the timeline. He also noted that Repentigny’s website includes a dedicated phone line for residents with questions or concerns.
Yvon Moïse, who lives close to the train track, said he has been shaking since Sunday afternoon.
“We’ll be scared when the train comes back,” he said. “At least no one died, that’s the most important thing.”
Speaking to Radio-Canada from his balcony, his gaze fixed on the derailed train cars, Moïse said he hadn’t slept all night due to the noise from the cleanup operations.
“Seeing that is awful,” he said.
Urgence-Environnement confirmed that the situation is “stable,” adding that it is ensuring “the necessary measures to safeguard the public and protect the environment are put in place.”
The Repentigny incident occurred a day before July 6, which marks the 13th anniversary of a rail disaster that killed 47 people in Lac-Mégantic, Que., after a train carrying crude oil derailed on the main street.