Yannick Gagne knew everyone who came to his popular bar in the heart of Lac-Megantic, Que.
He also knows who died inside the Musi-Café when a runaway train carrying crude oil came barrelling down the tracks in the early hours of Saturday morning.
The musicians, the people Gagne bought a round of drinks for, three of his employees and the tenants who lived upstairs -- all were at his bar when the train exploded.
鈥淚 was thinking it鈥檚 impossible, the downtown cannot be on fire, all downtown,鈥� Gagne told CTV鈥檚 Chief News Anchor and Senior Editor Lisa LaFlamme in an exclusive television interview.
鈥淚t鈥檚 impossible, but it鈥檚 true.鈥�
Gagne left Musi-Café late Friday, at 12:30 a.m. to pick up his kids from the babysitter. His expectant wife left at 12:45 a.m.
A short time later, at 1:14 a.m. Saturday, the train derailment sparked massive explosions that destroyed half of Lac-Megantic鈥檚 downtown core, including Musi-Cafe.
Fifteen people are confirmed dead. About 35 others are still unaccounted for and police have warned that the death toll will likely continue to rise.
Gagne said about 40 people were inside his bar and 20 others were on the patio when disaster struck.
He remembered fondly the three staff members who didn鈥檛 make it out alive.
鈥淥ne was the best of my staff,鈥� Gagne said. He told her so Friday night.
鈥淭he other one was always happy with a smile and the last one was the youngest, only 18 years old. She was with our team for three weeks only.鈥�
Seconds after the explosions, a server who was working on the patio called Gagne, screaming: 鈥淚鈥檓 afraid, there鈥檚 fire everywhere鈥t鈥檚 hell!鈥�
When he finally saw photos of the area, all he could see was scorched earth.
Trains passed behind Music-Café three times a day, and a possible derailment was always in the back of Gagne鈥檚 mind. But he never expected an 鈥渆nd-of-the-world kind of bomb.鈥�
Gagne said he and other residents of Lac-Megantic believe the number of missing people is a lot higher than the official count. He thinks as many as 100 could be gone.
鈥淎 lot of people told me it's not your fault you got the best place in town and everyone wants to be there and everyone inside was happy to be there,鈥� he said of the bar that attracted crowds, music and celebrations every weekend.
鈥淚t was a place of happiness."
