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Lac Megantic locals yell abuse at chairman of derailed train's company

Michael Vincent reported this story on Thursday, July 11, 2013 12:34:00

ELEANOR HALL: Now to the uproar in Canada over the blunt comments by the chairman of the company responsible for the train which derailed killing scores of people on the weekend.

Edward Burkhardt tried to explain the circumstances of the accident as locals yelled at him, one reportedly calling out "murderer".

He visited the town on the same day that police began telling the relatives of the missing that they presume they're dead.

So far, 20 bodies have been recovered.

North America correspondent, Michael Vincent, reports.

MICHAEL VINCENT: The chairman of the Montreal Maine and Atlantic Railways, Edward Burkhardt made his first visit to Lac Megantic, the site of the disaster, days after it occurred.

His arrival didn't begin well.

(A man yelling angrily)

He didn't engage with the local who'd been jeering him and reporters immediately asked if he'd spoken to any other locals. He said no.

They then asked if he was scared they'd accuse him over what happened.

EDWARD BURKHARDT: I hope not, but it wouldn't be the first time so (laughs) we'll try to settle with people.

MICHAEL VINCENT: It's not clear why he laughed - whether he found the question amusing or if he was nervous.

REPORTER: What do you have to say to the population of Megantic?

EDWARD BURKHARDT: That we consider this a huge tragedy.

MICHAEL VINCENT: Why did it take him several days to come to the town, he was asked. He explained that he'd already sent a dozen members of his staff and felt he was better dealing with officials, his insurance company and the press from his Chicago office.

A more formal press conference with loud speakers was then arranged - locals remained behind police tape down the street.

As other residents reportedly called him a murderer he was told that the townspeople were very angry.

EDWARD BURKHARDT: I understand the extreme anger and beyond that I, we'll do what we can to address the issues here. We can't roll back time.

MICHAEL VINCENT: Mr Burkhardt apologised to the town, saying he felt absolutely awful and that he was devastated.

He also backed away from the language used by the company earlier in the week - that their train had been tampered with by local fire-fighters who had turned off the locomotive to put out an earlier blaze - in doing so turning off the air brakes.

EDWARD BURKHARDT: Okay, this is a matter of definition of what the word tamper means. Somebody tampered with it. We later found out, we didn't know at the time, that it was the Lac's fire department.

Did they do this maliciously or on purpose, absolutely not. They did what they thought was correct. It was an important causal factor in this whole thing.

Do we hold them responsible? No.

MICHAEL VINCENT: But he was very blunt about who is responsible - his own employee who's been suspended.

Despite a police investigation now underway into possible criminal negligence, Mr Burkhardt said the engineer on the night of the accident wasn't telling the truth about applying the vehicle's multiple hand brakes.

EDWARD BURKHARDT: We think he applied some hand brakes, the question is did he apply enough of them. He's told us that he applied 11 hand brakes and our general feeling now, is that that is not true.

Initially, we took him at his word.

MICHAEL VINCENT: He added, he didn't think the engineer would work for the company again.

Mr Burkhardt was also asked if his railway was secure? Was it safe?

EDWARD BURKHARDT: You know until last Saturday I would've said yes, but we could've done a lot better.

MICHAEL VINCENT: After the press conference, he got in his car with a police officer and drove away.

Hundreds of locals remain homeless because of the accident. Police today said they expected the death toll to rise to 50.

This is Michael Vincent for The World Today.

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