ROUGH CUT (NO REPORTER NARRATION)
STORY: Several tanker cars of petroleum products exploded after a train derailed in the middle of a small town in the Canadian province of Quebec early on Saturday in a blast that destroyed many buildings and sent flames hundreds of feet into the air.
Police in Lac-Megantic, a lakeside town of about 6,000 people, said they have been unable to determine if there were any casualties. Fire officials said around 30 buildings in the town center were destroyed, some by the initial blast and others by the subsequent fire.
The Canadian Broadcasting Corp. said four pressurized tanker cars blew up after the train, which had 73 cars in all, came off the rails shortly after 1 a.m. (0500 GMT). Fire officials said they feared more of the tanker cars were at risk of exploding.
Around 1,000 people were evacuated from their homes.
Huge clouds of thick black smoke were still rising from the center of Lac-Megantic several hours after the di
