Another 5 Lac-Mgantic victims found, say police

The bodies of another five victims have been discovered in Lac-Mgantic, raising the total number to 33,said Quebec provincial police Insp. Michel Forgetat a press conference Saturday afternoon.

The Quebec coroner's office saidit hasidentified another victim, and released the names of seven others. Spokesperson Genevive Guilbaultsaid the bodies ofnine victims have been identified,butonly 93-year-old Elianne Parenteau has been named by the coroner's office.

The search continues

Emergency crews continue to search the red zone the area most affected by the disaster for the remaining victims. Of the 50 peoplemissing and presumed dead,another 17 are unaccounted for.

Forget said firefighters from over 60 forces across Canada and the U.S. areassisting in searching theredzone, facing extreme heat and dangerous fumes from contaminated soil.

Forget described the search as being like an "archeological dig," thatwill likely take weeksof digging through rubble, involving specialized crews.

Vigils for victims

Vigils in Lac-Mgantic, Montreal and in other communities across Quebec are being held to mourn the victims of last Saturdays train explosion.

About 100 people held candles and sat silently at Place dArmes in downtown Montreal Friday evening.

• Faces of the Lac-Mgantic tragedy

In Lac-Mgantic, a quiet vigil at Ste-Agns church started around 8 p.m.

Last Saturday, the small town in Quebecs Eastern Townships was rocked by a train derailment and explosion that took out most of the town's centre. The train was carryingmore than70 cars of crude oil.

One of the vigils planned for Friday night, at the Montignac high school, was cancelled for security reasons.

Still, a number of residents showed up at the church to commemorate the friends and family members they and their community lost.

The next afternoon, on Saturday, residents stood solemnly on the steps of Ste-Agns church at noon while the church rang its bell 50 times, representing the dead and missing. The bells continued to ring for another 10 minutes, followed by a minute of silence.

A benefit concert was held at the Lambton hotel near Lac-Mganticfor the remainder of the afternoon and evening.

• 8 victims ID'd in Lac-Mgantic, coroner's office says

Lac-Mgantic Mayor Colette Roy-Laroche said she was "very touched" by the outpouring of support from other areas of Quebec, though she encouraged people to gather to grieve privately.

"Were trying to survive, were keeping on, life goes on," said Patrick Champagne-Madore, who attended the vigil with his sister and two others.

He said it was important to him to support his fellow residents through these trying times.

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