AUGUSTA
All Maine firefighters have returned from Quebec after battling a blaze sparked by a runaway train derailment 10 miles north of the border that killed at least 13 people and left dozens more people missing, state officials said Monday.
Maine environmental officials continued to monitor the derailment, and repeated Monday that the oil spill and fires weren’t affecting the state’s air or water.
Dozens of businesses and numerous homes were destroyed Saturday when 72 oil-filled tankers came loose and sped downhill nearly seven miles into the town of Lac-Megantic, Quebec, causing explosions, an intense fire and thick plumes of smoke.
The cause is still under investigation.
All options were being explored by investigators, including the possibility that someone intentionally tampered with the train, said Quebec provincial police Sgt. Benoit Richard.
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