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Quebec Train Fire Victims Seek U.S. Bankruptcy Role

The motions filed last week in U.S. Bankruptcy Court ask for the creation of committee to represent wrongful-death and injury claimants as Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway undergoes Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. The company's Canadian counterpart has also filed for bankruptcy.

BANGOR, Maine (AP) -- Survivors of more than 30 people killed when an oil train derailed in Quebec in July are seeking a role in the U.S. bankruptcy case of the company whose train caused the disaster.

The motions filed last week in U.S. Bankruptcy Court ask for the creation of committee to represent wrongful-death and injury claimants as Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway undergoes Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. The company's Canadian counterpart has also filed for bankruptcy.

The request says the families anticipate wrongful death verdicts in the hundreds of millions of dollars for the July 6 derailment and disaster in Lac-Megantic, Quebec.

A train with 72 tankers of oil rolled into the town and exploded, killing 47 people. The company's chairman blamed the train's operator for failing to set enough hand brakes.

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