A 73-car train carrying petroleum products derailed near Lac Mégantic, Quebec early this morning.
One person is reported dead, and several people are missing.
The resulting explosion damaged 30 homes and severely damaged the downtown area. Authorities evacuated 1,000 residents from the immediate area, as well as 1,000 additional nearby residents due to concerns about poor air quality.
The train was hauling crude oil from North Dakota to St. John’s, a city in the Canadian province of New Brunswick. The train crashed near the Canadian – U.S. Border.
"We're not sure what happened, but the engineer did everything by the book. He had parked the train and was waiting for his relief ... somehow, the train got released," Joseph R. McGonigle Montreal, Maine & Atlantic spokesman, told Reuters .
Canadian officials from the Transportation Safety Board say that the investigation will begin with the train track, the train’s brakes, and the train itself.
The Canadian Red Cross has set up an information center at Polyvalente Montignac, a local high school.
“We will provide shelter, food, clothes if needed, and moral support,” spokeswoman Myrain Marotte told NBC News .