New Charges brought in Quebec railway disaster that killed 47 in 2013

The Canadian government has filed new charges in the runaway oil train explosion that killed 47 people in Quebec two years ago.

Regulatory agency Transport Canada announced the charges Monday after an investigation found an insufficient number of handbrakes were applied and the handbrakes were not tested properly.

Much of downtown Lac Megantic was destroyed on July 6, 2013, by a raging fire caused when an unattended train with 72 oil tankers began rolling downhill toward the town.

In 2014, three railway employees were charged with 47 counts each of criminal negligence, including engineer Thomas Harding, who is accused of failing to set enough brakes on the train. Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Railway was also charged.

The accused in the new charges include Harding, the railway and CEO Robert Grindgrod.