Quebec town levelled after train derailment

Holy crap.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/story/2013/07/06/quebec-train-derailment-fire.html

Looks like several blocks of the town of Lac-Megantic no longer exist after train derails.
Conductor was not in the train, had it parked and was waiting for his relief when all of a sudden the train that was hauling crude oil took off.

1,000 people in the town of 6,000 evacuated. So far 60 missing. Firefighters are having trouble getting anywhere near the blaze because of the heat

 

Where was the engineer?

 

Where was Denzel Washington when needed?

 

Is the engineer different than the conductor? I know very little about trains. Here's a more in depth story on it

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2357352/Breaking-news-Canadian-town-center-wiped-freight-train-carrying-hundreds-tons-crude-oil-derails-explodes.html

 

Every story I've seen said he was waiting for someone to take over after his shift.

 

Sounds like the train magically shifted into autopilot, went out of control and slammed into the town.

 

Man, a train crash in Quebec and plane crash in San Francisco in the same day. I ain't leaving my house!!

 

And the third shoe to drop is (fill in the blank).

Yikes

 

A cruise ship?
In Nebraska?

 

The Astros won.

 

Death toll is 5 in Quebec but 40 people missing