Railway applies for bankruptcy protection

The Maine-based railroad company involved in the deadly train derailment and explosion in Lac-Megantic, Quebec — has filed for bankruptcy.

Company chairman Ed Burkhardt said previously that service disruptions from the train disaster, may force the company to file. The move comes as Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Railways face several lawsuits, and major cleanup costs from the July 6th derailment which killed 47 people.

Police have now reportedly finished gathering evidence in the downtown area and have turned it back over to town officials. There are reports that some parts of the crash scene are so contaminated that people may not ever be allowed to return to their homes.