So fierce was the blaze that 36 hours later, rescue workers were still unable to enter the crash site, fearing that some of train's oil tanks could still explode. While police said that there had only been five confirmed fatalities so far, they added that at least 40 people were missing and that the final death toll could well be even higher. "All we'll find will be their teeth," said one firefighter, anticipating the charred state of some of the bodies.

Bernard Théberge, 44, who was smoking a cigarette outside the Musi-Cafe, told how he fled just in time after hearing the sound of the approaching train and realising it was about to crash.

"It was going way too fast," Mr Théberge told Canada's Globe and Mailnewspaper. "I saw a wall of fire go up ... I grabbed my bike, which was just on the railing of the terrace. I started pedalling and then I stopped and turned around. I saw that there were all those people inside and I knew right away that it would be impossible for them to get out."

Mr Théberge, who said he owed his own survival to being outside at the time, added: "There were maybe 60 people inside. This is a first. Smoking saved my life."

The cause of the crash, which took place in the small hours of Saturday, was still being investigated. Christophe Journet, a spokesman for the Montreal Maine & Atlantic company, said that the train had originally stopped in the neighbouring town of Nantes, around 8 miles west of Lac-Megantic, for a crew changeover.

Mr Journet said for reasons that were as yet unknown, the train "started to move down the slope leading to Lac-Megantic," even though the brakes were engaged. Firefighters said, though, that they had been called to a blaze on the train a few hours before the derailment. Some eyewitnesses later reported seeing it travelling ablaze en route to Lac-Megantic, prompting eerie rumours of a "ghost train".

FULL STORY: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/canada/10165...