Canada to send experimental Ebola vaccine to WHO

Saturday, October 18, 2014 | 2:14 PM    

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — The Canadian government said it will start shipping its experimental Ebola vaccine to the World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday for possible use in the West African countries hardest hit by the outbreak.

The government said in a news release Saturday that the Public Health Agency of Canada is supplying the vaccine to the UN agency in Geneva. The WHO is the international coordinating body for battling the Ebola outbreak which has killed more than 4,500 people in West Africa.

The news release said Canada will send 800 vials of its experimental vaccine in three separate shipments.

The WHO will consult with its partners, including health authorities from the affected countries, to determine how best to distribute and use the vaccine, taking into consideration concerns about using an experimental vaccine on people.

Human testing of the Canadian-made vaccine began last week in the US Twenty vials of the vaccine were sent to the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research in Maryland for testing on about 40 healthy volunteers, Canada’s Health Minister Rona Ambrose said last Monday.

The Phase 1 trial will determine if the vaccine known as VSV-EBOV is safe for human use. It will also determine the proper dosage level and test for possible side effects.

Studies have shown the vaccine works in primates both to prevent infection when given before exposure and to increase survival chances when given quickly after exposure.

Canadian health officials said results from the human trial are expected by December.

“This vaccine, the product of many years of scientific research and innovation, could be an important tool in curbing the outbreak,” said Dr Gregory Taylor of Canada’s Public Health Agency. “We will continue to work closely with the WHO to address some of the ethical and logistical issues around using this experimental vaccine in the fight against Ebola.”

Taylor said last week that the next step in testing the vaccine would be to test it in a larger human sample — most likely health-care workers handling Ebola cases on the ground in West Africa.

A small US company called NewLink Genetics, of Ames, Iowa, holds the license for the vaccine and is arranging the trials on human subjects. NewLink said in early October that it anticipated that clinical trial would soon be under way in the US, Germany, Switzerland and in an unnamed Africa country, which is not battling Ebola.

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Canada to send experimental Ebola vaccine to WHO

Canada body parts murder trial opens

29 September 2014 Last updated at 15:03 Police have said Magnotta filmed the murder of Jun Lin and posted it online The trial of a Canadian man accused of killing his lover and sending parts of his body in the post to political figures has begun in Montreal.

Luka Magnotta, 32, has pleaded not guilty to five charges related to the 2012 death of Jun Lin, a Chinese university student, including murder.

He faces a life prison sentence if convicted on all charges.

The trial start was delayed amid a crowded court calendar and difficulty selecting jurors.

Nearly 1,600 people were interviewed to fill a 14-person bilingual jury that includes two alternates.

Mr Magnotta’s lawyer, Luc Leclair, said he had sought jurors who were open-minded and willing to listen to the case, broadcaster CTV reported.

Canadian and European law enforcement hunted for Mr Magnotta across Europe

“He’s been waiting a long time,” Mr Leclair said. “There was a time that we never thought this day would come.”

Prospective jurors were asked during the panel selection whether they would be able to handle graphic and disturbing evidence.

Police began their investigation after finding a headless torso near Mr Magnotta’s Montreal flat in late May 2012.

Soon after, limbs were found in the post sent to Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s office and to the Liberal Party’s office.

Lin’s body parts were also later revealed to have been mailed to two British Columbia schools. His head was found in a Montreal park.

Investigators also found a video posted online thought to show Lin’s murder.

Mr Magnotta fled to Europe, prompting an international manhunt that ended when he was arrested in an internet cafe in Berlin.

He is charged with first-degree murder, committing an indignity to a body, publishing obscene material, mailing such material, and criminally harassing Prime Minister Stephen Harper and other members of parliament.

Mr Magnotta’s lawyer, Luc Leclair, said his client had been waiting for the trial for a long time

The prosecution may ask the jury to find Mr Magnotta guilty of second-degree murder or manslaughter if they cannot prove Mr Magnotta intentionally killed Lin and planned the murder in advance.

The trial is expected to last four to six weeks. About 60 witnesses are expected to be called.

Lin, who was enrolled as a computer science and engineering student at Concordia University in Montreal, was from the city of Wuhan in China.

His father, Diran Lin, will attend the trial.

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Canada body parts murder trial opens

Steele to perform at Pan Am Games in Canada next year

Steele – Contributed

Next year Toronto will be the host city of the Pan Am and Parapan Am Games.

This will make it the third time Canada has had the honour of hosting them, they did previously in 1967 and 1999 both times in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

As a part of the countdown celebrations leading to the big games there will be a series of activities, and on Thursday, July 10, Jamaican artiste Steele, who now resides in Canada ,will be in action at Celebration Square located at City Centre Drive in Mississauga.

The free family day of activities will include dance, music, food and sport.

“It’s a great honour to represent in the countdown activities. I am looking forward to showing sports enthusiasts a great time, what better marriage than sports and entertainment,” the singer said.

Steele who hails from Hanover, is an accomplished musician, songwriter and producer who has earned a reputation as a perfectionist with his professional approach to his music.

The Pan American Games arethe world’s third largest international multi-sport games; they are only surpassed in size and scope by the Olympic summer games and the Asian games.

The first Pan American Games were held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1951 and the inaugural Parapan American Games were held in Mexico City in 1999.

Both the Pan Am and Parapan Am Games are held every four years for the athletes of the41 PASO member nations, in the year preceding the Olympic and Paralympic Summer Games.

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Steele to perform at Pan Am Games in Canada next year

Jamaican police constable arrested in Canada

Canadian police have arrested a Jamaican police constable who they say is an alleged member of a “death squad” just outside of Toronto, Canada last Friday.

Twenty-eight-year-old Witney Hutchinson, named in warrant for the murder of Syllvester Gallimore in Jamaica, is said to be linked to an additional 40 murders under investigation.

Referred to as an international fugitive by Canadian press, Hutchinson is reported to have entered Canada legally in 2011, as there were no warrants out for his arrest at that point in time.

According to reports, he was taken into custody last Friday for the allegations of extrajudicial killings shortly before fleeing to Canada.

Hutchinson, who remains in custody, faces deportation to Jamaica.

When contacted, Independent Commission of Investigations Senior Public Relations Officer Khamile Reid told THE Weekend STAR that the agency would not comment on the matter, or any other matter in relation to the investigation of the alleged “death squad”.

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Jamaican police constable arrested in Canada

Canada, US issue Haiti travel advisory following upsurge in crime

Haiti anti-riot soldier (Credit: Caribbean360/Bigstock)

OTTAWA, Canada, Saturday June 28, 2014, CMC – The Canadian and United States governments have warned their nationals about traveling to Haiti in light of what they view as an increase in crime in some parts of the earthquake-ravaged, French-speaking Caribbean country.

“There is no nationwide advisory in effect for Haiti. However, you should exercise a high degree of caution due to high crime rates in various parts of the country and ongoing political tensions,” said Canada in a statement, warning against non-essential travel to the neighbourhoods of Martissant, Carrefour, Bel Air and Cité Soleil, in the Port-au-Prince area, “as the security situation is particularly unstable and dangerous.

“The decision to travel is your responsibility. You are also responsible for your personal safety abroad. The Government of Canada takes the safety and security of Canadians abroad very seriously and provides credible and timely information in its Travel Advice.

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“In the event of a crisis situation that requires evacuation, the Government of Canada’s policy is to provide safe transportation to the closest safe location. The Government of Canada will assist you in leaving a country or a region as a last resort, when all means of commercial or personal transportation have been exhausted,” the government said in the statement.

It said that the neighbourhoods of Martissant, Carrefour, Bel Air and Cité Soleil, in the Port-au-Prince area “continue to be dangerous due to criminal activity,” adding that local authorities lack the “capacity to ensure order.

“Personal safety and a police presence are not guaranteed. The police are unable to respond in a timely manner to calls for assistance in these areas, and it is strongly advised to avoid going out after nightfall,” it said.

The Canadian government also said that the security situation is “hazardous and very unpredictable.

“Remain extremely vigilant wherever you are in the country. Criminal activity is especially evident in large centres such as downtown Port-au-Prince, where armed gangs continue to operate,” it said.

“There has recently been an increase in armed robberies targeting travellers, particularly foreigners of Haitian origin, arriving on international flights at the Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince,” it said, noting that in most cases the victims’ vehicles are followed by criminals on motorcycles.

“Criminal gangs have committed robberies by erecting roadblocks. If you have to travel through this area, remain extremely vigilant and follow the advice of local authorities,” Canada said, noting that murder, kidnapping, armed robberies, burglaries and carjackings have been known to occur even in daylight hours.

The Canadian government said the general Haitian population, regardless of social class, ?can be considered at risk of being kidnapped.

In issuing a similar travel advisory, the consular section of the US Embassy in Port-au-Prince said it has “noted a recent increase in the number of travelers who have been victims of robbery shortly after departing Toussaint Louverture International Airport.

“In most cases, victims report that they were followed by armed individuals on motorcycles shortly after leaving the airport and robbed of cash and other portable valuables,” the statement said, urging Americans to ensure that they are picked up at the airport by their host.

The United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) said 73 people have been murdered so far this month, compared to 54 in May, 66 in April, and 45 in March.

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Canada, US issue Haiti travel advisory following upsurge in crime

Canada, US issue Haiti travel advisory following upsurge in crime

Haiti anti-riot soldier (Credit: Caribbean360/Bigstock)

OTTAWA, Canada, Saturday June 28, 2014, CMC – The Canadian and United States governments have warned their nationals about traveling to Haiti in light of what they view as an increase in crime in some parts of the earthquake-ravaged, French-speaking Caribbean country.

“There is no nationwide advisory in effect for Haiti. However, you should exercise a high degree of caution due to high crime rates in various parts of the country and ongoing political tensions,” said Canada in a statement, warning against non-essential travel to the neighbourhoods of Martissant, Carrefour, Bel Air and Cité Soleil, in the Port-au-Prince area, “as the security situation is particularly unstable and dangerous.

“The decision to travel is your responsibility. You are also responsible for your personal safety abroad. The Government of Canada takes the safety and security of Canadians abroad very seriously and provides credible and timely information in its Travel Advice.

Click here to receive free news bulletins via email from Caribbean360. (View sample)

“In the event of a crisis situation that requires evacuation, the Government of Canada’s policy is to provide safe transportation to the closest safe location. The Government of Canada will assist you in leaving a country or a region as a last resort, when all means of commercial or personal transportation have been exhausted,” the government said in the statement.

It said that the neighbourhoods of Martissant, Carrefour, Bel Air and Cité Soleil, in the Port-au-Prince area “continue to be dangerous due to criminal activity,” adding that local authorities lack the “capacity to ensure order.

“Personal safety and a police presence are not guaranteed. The police are unable to respond in a timely manner to calls for assistance in these areas, and it is strongly advised to avoid going out after nightfall,” it said.

The Canadian government also said that the security situation is “hazardous and very unpredictable.

“Remain extremely vigilant wherever you are in the country. Criminal activity is especially evident in large centres such as downtown Port-au-Prince, where armed gangs continue to operate,” it said.

“There has recently been an increase in armed robberies targeting travellers, particularly foreigners of Haitian origin, arriving on international flights at the Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince,” it said, noting that in most cases the victims’ vehicles are followed by criminals on motorcycles.

“Criminal gangs have committed robberies by erecting roadblocks. If you have to travel through this area, remain extremely vigilant and follow the advice of local authorities,” Canada said, noting that murder, kidnapping, armed robberies, burglaries and carjackings have been known to occur even in daylight hours.

The Canadian government said the general Haitian population, regardless of social class, ?can be considered at risk of being kidnapped.

In issuing a similar travel advisory, the consular section of the US Embassy in Port-au-Prince said it has “noted a recent increase in the number of travelers who have been victims of robbery shortly after departing Toussaint Louverture International Airport.

“In most cases, victims report that they were followed by armed individuals on motorcycles shortly after leaving the airport and robbed of cash and other portable valuables,” the statement said, urging Americans to ensure that they are picked up at the airport by their host.

The United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) said 73 people have been murdered so far this month, compared to 54 in May, 66 in April, and 45 in March.

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Canada, US issue Haiti travel advisory following upsurge in crime

JSE looking to Jamaican Diaspora in Canada to grow business

The Jamaica Stock Exchange (JSE) will be targeting Canadian investors, especially those from the diaspora, to invest in companies listed on the exchange.    

Marlene Street Forrest, General Manager of the JSE announced on Thursday that the opportunity arose from the fact that the JSE was recently approved by Canada’s Finance Minister, Joe Oliver, as a designated stock exchange.

“What it means is that persons in the Diaspora purchasing equities on our market, the gain on those will not be subject to tax,” she explained.

Accordingly, she said, the Jamaican exchange “will try to make inroads into that particular achievement so as to continue to grow the market.”

Street Forrest also announced that the JSE is expecting as much as six new listings on the Junior Market this year. Those will follow five listings last year.

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JSE looking to Jamaican Diaspora in Canada to grow business

Stocks on JSE main market get tax-free status in Canada

CANADIAN investors ARE NOW exempt from taxes on income derived from buying stocks on the main Jamaica Stock Exchange (JSE) market.

Joe Oliver, the finance minister in Canada, approved the JSE as a designated stock exchange under the Income Tax Act in the North American jurisdiction.

Importantly, stocks on the JSE’s Main Market will become more attractive to Canadian pension funds, investment managers and investors on a whole, according to the JSE.

It also means that should Jamaican Diaspora Bonds be listed on the JSE Main Market it will be very attractive to the Jamaicans in Canada as they will not be required to pay income tax when trading these bonds.

JSE had to meet certain criteria to be recognised as a designated exchange, including adherence to rules and regulations, maintain a reasonable level of liquidity and offer a range of products on the exchange.

“This is a significant milestone in our history, when the Canadian Government recognised the JSE as a designated exchange,” said Marlene Street Forrest, general manager of the JSE. “This seeks to further solidify the relationship between Jamaica and Canada, a country which was instrumental in assisting the JSE with its first sets of Rules and the JSE’s Securities Course.”

According to Attorney-at-Law Courtney Betty who represented the Stock Exchange in the application, “Canadian investors, especially those from the diaspora present a tremendous opportunity to grow the Jamaica Stock Exchange as well as contributing to the growth and development of Jamaica.”

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Stocks on JSE main market get tax-free status in Canada

Canada tragedy

L’ISLE-VERTE, Quebec (AP) — Crews struggled with frigid temperatures and ice as thick as two feet (60 centimetres) as they searched yesterday for more bodies in the remains of a burned-out Quebec retirement home as friends and relatives of the victims awaited news. Just eight bodies of the 32 presumed dead have been recovered.

A massive blaze swept through the three-storey building in L’Isle-Verte, about 140 miles (225 kilometres) northeast of Quebec City early Thursday. Quebec Provincial Police Lt Guy Lapointe at a news conference lowered the number of missing from about 30 to 24 based on more detailed information. The official confirmed death toll remained at eight.

“The 24 people that are still missing, I think we can assume the worst. We’re not going to confirm any deaths until we’ve actually recovered the remains,” Lapointe said.

The coroner’s office identified two of the victims as Juliette Saindon, 95, and Marie-Laureat Dube, 82.

The cause of the blaze that burned down the Residence du Havre was under investigation, and police asked the public for any videos or photos that might yield clues. Lapointe declined to confirm media reports that the fire began in the room of a resident who was smoking a cigarette, but he said it “is one hypothesis among many”.

“When you conduct an investigation of this magnitude, you have to determine all the facts and not simply just one or two in order to achieve a conclusion,” he said.

Frigid temperatures continued to hamper the search, with Lapointe saying the ice in certain places was as thick as 60 centimetres (two feet).

Search teams brought in equipment normally used to de-ice ships that pushes out very hot air.

“You can imagine how difficult it is to go through the ice, melt it, and do it in a way that we preserve the integrity of potential victims,” he said. “So it’s very difficult work again today. It’s very cold.”

On Friday, teams of police, firefighters and coroners slowly and methodically picked their way through the ruins, working in shifts in the extreme cold with temperatures hovering around minus four degrees Fahrenheit (minus 20 degrees Celsius).

As crews used steam to melt thick sheets of ice coating the rubble, Marc-Henri Saindon waited for his mother’s body to be recovered. Marie-Jeanne Gagnon, five months shy of her 100th birthday, had moved to the home on New Year’s Eve, her son said.

“She really liked it there. She was well-treated and she had friends there,” Saindon said.

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Canada tragedy

VIDEO: Snake kills two children in Canada

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VIDEO: Snake kills two children in Canada

Canada oil pipeline plan unveiled

1 August 2013 Last updated at 18:25 ET The pipeline, with a route displayed at a news conference on Thursday, must still be approved Oil firm TransCanada has unveiled plans to build a pipeline from western Canada to the country’s Atlantic coast, as its plans for a US pipeline remain stalled.

The 12bn Canadian dollar ($11.6bn; £8bn) Energy East line would carry up to 1.1 million barrels of oil per day.

That would replace oil imported to eastern Canada, with a leftover surplus to export across the Atlantic.

Meanwhile, the company’s Keystone XL pipeline from Alberta to Texas faces stiff US environmental opposition.

On Thursday, TransCanada Chief Executive Russ Girling hailed the “many benefits across Canada” the pipeline would bring.

“This is an historic opportunity to connect the oil resources of western Canada to the consumers of eastern Canada, creating jobs, tax revenue and energy security for all Canadians for decades to come,” he said in a statement.

The Energy East pipeline would run from Hardisty, Alberta, to a new deep-water marine terminal in St John, New Brunswick.

‘Focus on safety’

It would be able to handle the largest shipping vessels in the world, the company said.

Mr Girling said the project would supply refineries in eastern Canada, which currently process 750,000 barrels of imported foreign oil each day.

He said the company would build its pipeline with a “singular focus” on safety.

As much as 82% of the oil refined in Canada’s Atlantic region and 92% of the oil piped to refineries in the province of Quebec is imported from other countries, including Nigeria, Angola and the Middle East, according to Canadian government statistics.

The Energy East pipeline would link about 3,000km (1,864 miles) of an already-built natural gas pipeline with about 1,400km (870 miles) of newly constructed pipeline, TransCanada said.

The company projects it will be piping oil to Quebec by late 2017, and to New Brunswick by 2018.

The project requires regulatory approval, but analysts say it enjoys broad political support at home.

Oil production rise

That contrasts with the Keystone XL pipeline, a $7bn (£4.6bn) proposal that encountered stiff opposition from environmental groups and scepticism from the White House.

Labour unions and many lawmakers said Keystone XL would bring jobs and an economic boost to the US.

The US state department is expected to issue a final report on the project before the end of the year. It has been overseeing the review process because the pipeline crosses a US border.

The pipelines are part of a drive to improve infrastructure for the oil industry in Canada, the country with the world’s third-largest oil reserves behind Saudi Arabia and Venezuela.

The TransCanada chief called for more pipelines to take Canadian oil to North American markets.

Analysts forecast that Canadian oil production will rise to 3.7 million barrels per day in 2025 from its current 1.5 million barrels.

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Canada oil pipeline plan unveiled

Not by chance is Ja first destination for Air Canada rouge flight

Tourism minister McNeill says new airline will compensate for recent shortfall in seats

JAMAICA has further cemented itself as the preferred tourist destination for Canadians, with the historic choice of Kingston for the inaugural flight of Air Canada rouge, the new leisure carrier powered by Air Canada and Air Canada Vacations.“We are delighted that Jamaica has gone down in the record books today as the very first destination flown by Air Canada rouge,” said Michael Friisdahl, president and chief executive officer of Air Canada Leisure Group, shortly after the aircraft touched down at the Norman Manley International Airport on July 1, 2013.“It is not by chance. We chose Jamaica in recognition of the tremendous partnership between our two countries. Today Air Canada offers more than 200,00 thousand seats each year between Jamaica and Canada,” said Friisdahl.Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism Dr Wykeham McNeill was a happy man, as he welcomed the inaugural flight, declaring that it was of great significance that Air Canada’s leisure carrier, rouge, had selected Jamaica in identifying its first international destination.“Air Canada’s relationship with Jamaica is decades-long and it has been enormously beneficial to our tourism industry. For years, growth in arrivals out of Canada has been so robust as to move that country into number two position among our source markets.” McNeill said.But he noted that factors beyond Jamaica’s control had reduced airlift between Canada and Jamaica in recent times by 40,000 seats, threatening the island’s ability to sustain the rate of growth to which it had become accustomed.“Now that rouge is flying to Kingston, when it inaugurates service to Montego Bay in November Air Canada will have increased its capacity to Jamaica by 35 per cent overall, thus more than compensating for the shortfall from that market. These developments are creating a very positive outlook for our visitor arrivals out of Canada,” the minister chirped.Air Canada rouge’s July 1 start-up fleet consisted of two Airbus A319 aircraft and two Boeing 767-300ER aircraft, which the company said would grow to 10 aircraft by the end of 2013, with the addition of six Airbus A319 aircraft by December 2013, and an additional four Airbus A319 aircraft by March 2014, for a total of 14 aircraft by the end of the 2013-2014 winter season.A number of popular holiday destinations currently served by Air Canada’s mainline carrier will be converted to Air Canada rouge service on a phased basis, beginning October 2013 through March 2014 as additional aircraft are released by the mainline airline for operation by its leisure carrier, the company said.Air Canada rouge will operate flights to Mexico, the United States and the Caribbean including Jamaica, Grenada, St Kitts, Grand Exuma, Bahamas, Curacao, Netherlands Antilles and La Romana, Dominican Republic. This is in addition to Air Canada rouge service commencing with its summer 2013 schedule on July 1 from Toronto year-round to 10 Caribbean and Central America destinations.The Toronto-Montego Bay flights will be operated with Boeing 767-300ER aircraft that feature a two-cabin configuration with three customer comfort options including rouge, rouge Plus with preferred seating with additional legroom, and, beginning in winter 2013, Premium rouge offering both additional room and enhanced service.Minister of Tourism and Entertainment Wykeham McNeill (left) in airline talk with Michael Friisdahl, president and chief executive officer of Air Canada Leisure Group (centre) and Eamonn Ferrin, president and chief operating officer of Air Canada Vacations, shortly after the new leisure carrier landed in Kingston. (PHOTOS: BRYAN CUMMINGS)Members of the inaugural flight crew of Air Canada rouge are (from left) Brian Bartlett, Waseem Husainy, Suzanna Alsayed, and Tim Pepin.Minister of Tourism and Entertainment, Wykeham McNeill cutting the ribbon to mark the inaugural flight of Air Canada rouge to Kingston on July 1, 2013. Sharing the moment are (from left) Mayor of Kingston Angela Brown-Burke; Minister of State in the Ministry of Tourism and Entertainment Damion Crawford; Michael Friisdahl, president and chief executive officer of Air Canada Leisure Group; Eamonn Ferrin, president and chief operating officer of Air Canada Vacations, and the Very Rev Monsignor Michael Lewis of the Roman Catholic Church.

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Not by chance is Ja first destination for Air Canada rouge flight

40 still missing in deadly Canada oil-train crash

LAC-MEGANTIC, Quebec (AP) — Firefighters’ attempts to search for some 40 people still missing after a runaway oil tanker train exploded over the weekend, killing at least five people, were hindered by hazardous conditions Monday, officials said.

Quebec provincial police Sergeant Benoit Richard said Monday morning there was no searching overnight because the situation remained too dangerous.He said only a small part of the devastated scene has been searched as firefighters made sure all flames were out.Many of those missing were believed to have been drinking at a popular downtown establishment when the explosions occurred and rescuers were still not able to reach the bar, Richard said.“Hopefully we’ll be able to open up more areas for searching during the day,” he said.Firefighters on Monday were focusing their efforts on two oil-filled cars dousing them with water and foam in an attempt to keep them from overheating and exploding.All but one of the train’s 73 tanker cars were carrying oil when they somehow came loose early Saturday morning, sped downhill nearly seven miles (11 kilometres) into the town of Lac-Megantic, near the Maine border, and derailed, with at least five of the cars exploding.About a third of the community of 6,000 was forced from of their homes by the explosion and flames.The growing number of trains transporting crude oil in Canada and the United States had raised concerns of a major disaster, and this derailment was sure to add to the debate over a proposed oil pipeline running across the US that Canada says it badly needs.“This is an unbelievable disaster,” said Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who toured the town Sunday and compared it to a war zone. “This is an enormous area, 30 buildings just completely destroyed, for all intents and purposes incinerated. There isn’t a family that is not affected by this.”Anne-Julie Huot, 27, said at least five friends and about 20 acquaintances remained unaccounted for.“I have a friend who was smoking outside the bar when it happened, and she barely got away, so we can guess what happened to the people inside,” Huot said. “It’s like a nightmare.”A coroner’s spokeswoman said it may not be possible to recover some of the bodies because of the intensity of the blasts. Spokeswoman Geneviève Guilbault said the bodies are so badly burned that identifying them could take a long time. She said none of the five bodies that have been found so far have been identified and two have been sent to Montreal for further analysis. All of the autopsies will be conducted in Montreal because there is no laboratory in town.For the second day in a row, she urged families of the missing to come forward with details that could help them identify the bodies, such as tattoos, dental records, or objects that would contain the DNA of the deceased.The train’s oil was being transported from North Dakota’s Bakken oil region to a refinery in New Brunswick. Because of limited pipeline capacity in the Bakken region and in Canada, oil producers are increasingly using railroads to transport oil to refineries.The Canadian Railway Association recently estimated that as many as 140,000 carloads of crude oil will be shipped on Canada’s tracks this year — up from 500 carloads in 2009. The Quebec disaster is the fourth freight train accident in Canada under investigation involving crude oil shipments since the beginning of the year.Like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/jamaicaobserverFollow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamaicaObserver

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40 still missing in deadly Canada oil-train crash