In the wee hours of July 6, 2013, a freight train derailed. The accident sent several cars hurtling downhill into the small Quebec town of Lac-Mégantic, close to the American border.
The train was full of crude oil, and the cars, without any brakes or engine power, went smashing into the center of town. The ensuing explosion leveled Lac-Mégantic's homey, lakefront downtown. Thirty buildings were destroyed.