When Claude Charron fled from his Lac-Megantic, Que. condo moments after a train carrying crude oil derailed, setting off a series of explosions, he could already feel the heat from the fire raging a little more than a kilometre away.
Shortly after 1 a.m. Saturday, Charron awoke to the sounds of the runaway train jumping the tracks.
鈥淲e went to the balcony, but couldn鈥檛 see anything because it鈥檚 not facing the downtown,鈥� he told CTV鈥檚 Canada AM on Monday. 鈥淎bout a minute after, we saw the explosions. People were banging on our doors saying we had to get out.鈥�
Charron and his wife ran to their car.
鈥淲e felt the heat on our arms,鈥� he recalled. 鈥淲e drove up the street in order to escape the explosions.鈥�
When he saw the blasts coming from Lac-Megantic鈥檚 downtown, he grew increasingly worried.
The area surrounding the explosion site was a popular destination on weekends, Charron said, and the bars and restaurants were bustling with people when the first explosion hit.
鈥淚 have three daughters and I wasn鈥檛 sure if one of them was there,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e were terrified by the scenery.鈥�
Two days after the derailment devastated the small eastern Quebec town, Charron said questions continue to swirl about the victims of the train disaster and the estimated 40 Lac-Megantic residents who remain unaccounted for.
鈥淚鈥檝e learned some families have lost up to four people in this accident,鈥� he said.
Charron said the pharmacy he has run in downtown Lac-Megantic for more than 40 years is 鈥渁 complete loss.鈥�
Zeph Kee, who lives about 30 minutes outside of Lac-Megantic, said he saw a huge fireball coming from the city's downtown early Saturday morning.
鈥淚 thought a gas station had blown up,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t was unbelievable.鈥�
The official death toll following the derailment is now 13, but authorities have warned it may rise.
Police said Monday afternoon that they were broadening their search for victims, to include parts of town which had been previously inaccessible.
As the day wore on, heartbroken residents came to terms with their devastating losses, as it became increasingly clear that the missing might be found dead:
Jean Clusiault on his missing 24-year-old daughter Kathy Clusiault
鈥淜athy was a very intelligent girl. She鈥檚 got a lot of talent (and) entrepreneurship. She was beautiful. She鈥檚 got a lot of guts and she loves her sister very much.
鈥淲e are a close family鈥� a lot of people (have) surrounded us and helped us.鈥�
Martine Boulet-Pelletier on her missing older sister Marie-France
鈥淭here鈥檚 nothing left. Hope is鈥� there鈥檚 no hope anymore. We鈥檙e just waiting鈥� Marie-Francoise was a very generous person, everyone knows her.鈥�
Anne-Julie Hallee on her aunt who is missing
鈥淪he鈥檚 93-years-old. She didn鈥檛 have time to run away, maybe she didn鈥檛 even hear what was happening. Her house, I saw some pictures, her house is burnt down.鈥�
Hallee on the explosions and fires
鈥淚 saw the blast鈥� it was really, really warm. It was almost unbearable鈥� it was like hell.
鈥淭here was a cloud of flames, rolling and rolling. It was really scary鈥� I have goose bumps just thinking about it again.鈥�
Sophie L鈥橦eureux, manager of Le Musi-Café
鈥�(I) have lots of trouble sleeping because I'm stuck with the images and the sounds, the noise of the fire. It's very difficult to get away from that."
With reports from CTV鈥檚 Montreal Bureau Chief Genevieve Beauchemin, CTV Montreal鈥檚 Paul Karwatsky and files from The Canadian Press
